Fragments of Our Life
by Gin Nanashi
Summary: A collection of unplanned and randomly updated one-shots related to either AAWY or just Minato x Minako in general.
1. His Side

**Hello, everyone, I hope you've all been doing well since the end of _All Alone With You_! :D**

**Greetings aside, this here (as you've likely gleaned from the summary) is just going to be a collection of unplanned and randomly updated one-shots related to AAWY...or just dedicated to the Minato x Minako pairing, anyway. xP**

**So, without further ado, here's the first story!**

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_**Fragments of Our Life**_

**His Side**

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**Monday, April 06, 2009**

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_"Hey, Toto-kun…?"_

_"Hm…?"_

_"…Let's stay together, okay?"_

_"…Okay."_

_"Forever?"_

_"Yeah..."_

_"Promise?"_

_"I'll never leave you, Ko-chan… Ever."_

_"…Me neither. It's a promise!"_

Silver eyes blinked open in a haze of sleepiness, looking at but not seeing the colors that blurred together outside of the window as Anehazuru passed over the glistening sea.

_That's..._

The Moonlight Bridge seemed to glow under the moonlight in the distance and his hands clenched into fists, one in his pocket and the other around the metal pole, as–

_–screechingtiresburningrubber–_

_"To…to…k…n…?"_

_–nonononodon'tleavemetoo–_

_"Wh…hap…n…d…?"_

_–lookatmedon'tcloseyoureyes–_

_"Dun…cry…T…o…k…n…"_

_–hiseyesstunghishearthurthurthurt–_

–his mind recalled indistinct bits and pieces of that night before he pushed those dark memories to the back of his mind with a shake of his head.

_That night was..._

The ache in his temple was easily outweighed by the pain in his heart as he rested his forehead against the cool glass pane.

_…the last time I saw her._

A familiar burning sensation pricked behind his eyelids but he swallowed the urge to simply wallow in his self-pity.

_I need to find her… _

That singular thought was what kept him going for all of those years despite the loneliness that he felt, the pity that was thrown onto him, the distance that everyone else kept him at…

_I _will_ find her._

And it was with that silent confidence that he'd stepped off of the New City passenger train at long last.

_Tired… _

Silver eyes glanced over at the time–_11:47 PM_–and closed before he sighed softly at having his entire schedule for the day botched up because of a coincidental train malfunction.

_So late…_

And, just as he was about to walk forward, a weight settled on the edge of his sleeve.

_…?_

He looked down only to _freeze_.

_Ba-bump._

His heart pounded in his chest, roaring in his ears, and all he could do was stare into those bright, beautiful, _familiar_ eyes that were as red as the fire that seemed to warm his chest.

_Ko-…chan…?_

He swallowed thickly and his hands were cold with anticipation despite being stuffed in his pocket.

_Are you…really her…?_

She suddenly jumped away with heat flaring her cheeks and stuttered uncharacteristically,

"I'm truly sorry! I don't know what came over me and–"

Her formal attitude towards him was disquieting to say the least.

"–I'll try to think before I act so please forgive me and–!"

He plopped a hand on her head and ruffled her hair with an impassive face but his heart clenched, squeezed, tightened with joy and sorrow and so much _hurt_ when he saw the confusion practically emanating from her.

_You…don't remember me, do you…?_

Her eyes, hesitantly curious, filled his vision again and he had to fight to maintain his placidity this time, blinking slowly to hide the tears that wanted to make themselves known before pulling back his hand with a hint of reluctance that he couldn't quite hide.

She was deciphering him, that much was still recognizable from back then, and he suddenly felt an irrational _fear_–

_Can you see it?_

_(Just how broken I am without you?)_

_Will you still want me?_

_(Now that you don't remember me?)_

_I don't want to be alone anymore…_

–so he diverted her attention with a tilt of his head and parted his lips to call her,

"Pochibi."

She blinked (once, twice, three-four times) as if in shock and he was relieved to have derailed her observation before deciding to push her buttons a bit more by petting her head again.

She face-faulted.

Epically.

And he allowed himself a ghost of a smile, filled with fondness and melancholy in equal measures, before clearing his expression the moment that she regained her composure and shook off his hand.

_Please don't push me away… _

To hide the way his hand trembled, Minato dug into his pockets once more.

_I wouldn't know what to do if even you reject me… _

He wanted to cry but forced himself to remain indifferent.

_Without your light, I'm lost in the darkness within._

Because he hated that crybaby part of him that had never fully disappeared even after ten years.

_But you're lost as well, aren't you…?_

Her eyes, though bright and beautiful and familiar, were roaming all over him in wonder and effort and with a hint (just a hint) of _desperation_ that made him want to wrap her up tight in his arms just as he did in the past.

_"It's okay, Ko-chan… You're okay…"_

_"B-But– I-I– And y-you– Everyone was–!"_

_"It's just a nightmare… We're still here… _I_'m still here."_

His fingers twitched and, the next thing he knew, he'd tapped her on the shoulder.

The way that she jumped so skittishly amused him to an extent but he was mostly overcome by carefully hidden grief because she'd _never_ shied away from his touch before and it _hurt_ to see her so untrusting of him now but…

_She'll remember. _

His hands fisted in hope and determination.

_I'll make sure of it. _

And his eyes narrowed an indiscernible slant.

_Even if it takes forever and a day._

…he held out a hand and she blinked in surprise.

"Minato," he (re)introduced himself in a soft tone so as to not scare her off, "Minato Arisato. A pleasure…"

She looked him straight in the eye without hesitation, without fear, this time around and he couldn't help but feel proud of her.

(And himself for not just breaking down, if he was being completely honest.)

Her hand, soft and small and still so _warm_, wrapped around his in a polite handshake.

"Minako," she smiled a smile that was a mere echo of its former glory, "My name's Minako Inoue. It's nice to meet you, Arisato-san."

For a second, Minato felt so incredibly _forlorn_ because of the way that she'd addressed him but he quickly suppressed the feeling before she could glean even a bit of it.

And suddenly, the world around them changed.

All of the lights, the computers, every man-made object shut down simultaneously. Blood suddenly trickled from the ceiling, dripping down the corners and walls of the building, before settling into ominous puddles on the floor. The once beautifully dark sky faded into an eerie shade of green as the glorious silver moon took on a murky yellow color. And black coffins replaced the once bustling visitors of the now silent Iwatodai Station.

Silver eyes flickered around at his newly changed surroundings and Minato shifted uncomfortably, wanting to step closer to Minako but knowing that she simply thought of him as a stranger.

_For now…_

Instead, he busied himself by tapping on the sides of his headphones before slipping them off and allowing them to dangle around his neck.

_Like hers…_

With her red-accented headphones off, Minako looked around with a dazed expression clear on her face, as if amazed by the transformation, but he could only frown at that.

_If this is her first time moving about in this hour, then…_

He took out his pamphlet and resisted the urge to smile when she stepped closer on her own accord to take a look.

_I'd best get her somewhere safe to rest or else–_

She sneezed, looking faintly disoriented, and he placed the map away after refreshing his memory.

_Fifteen minutes._

He was confident with his estimation.

_I know she's strong enough to last that long at the very least._

Walking with purpose, Minato was glad to see her follow him without question.

He was even more glad when she began walking closer and closer to him over time.

And he was highly tempted to hold her hand when it brushed against his.

But he refrained from doing so this early and when she was already on edge.

Minako perked up when they saw the dormitory appear in their line of vision and, without much hesitation, they entered it quietly.

"Welcome," an unexpectedly young voice greeted them, "You're late. I've been waiting a long time…"

Minato looked over at the mysterious boy standing behind the receptionist desk and slowly followed Minako as she walked up to him with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry," she apologized, "The train schedule was delayed…"

In response, he simply smiled at her before presenting two contracts and…_vanishing_…after they'd signed it.

_I chooseth this fate of mine own free will…huh._

Something about that line felt ominous to him but he ignored it when he saw those normally bright, red eyes stare blankly ahead.

_Ko-chan… _

Easily falling back on old habits, Minato entwined his fingers into her hair and stroked her head in reassurance, pleased to see her relax (perhaps subconsciously) under his touch.

_So cute… _

When she seemed to have realized what he was doing, Minako shot him an unamused look and huffed,

"I should bite you…to death."

The corners of his lips twitched vaguely as he simply tilted his head in response and continued petting her, making her sigh in exasperation.

_Heh… _

But then she tensed and so did he when a girl in a pink cardigan suddenly appeared before them, looking extraordinarily terrified.

Briefly, Minato wondered why as she stuttered something or another but then he saw her hand twitch towards what appeared to be a gun and he _tensed_–

_No…!_

–before immediately stepping in front of Minako–

_Never again…! _

–because he remembered the coldness in his chest when she laid there, pale and limp and _bleeding_–

_This time… No matter what… _

–feeling not quite satisfied when the brunette quailed under his steely gaze.

_I _will_ protect her._

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**Like it? Hate it? Do review in response!**


	2. Facing Death

**...Do you think it's weird that I was inspired to write this one-shot while in the showers? *sweats* Because that was what happened...**

**My oddities aside, thank you so much to everyone who'd reviewed, including the ever-mysterious _?_ the Guest! I'll try to honor everyone's requests but it really depends on if I can get a solid idea going... **

**That aside, I won't bother ranting about what's happening IRL this time around so...**

**Enjoy! :D**

* * *

_**Fragments of Our Life**_

**Facing Death**

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**The Dark Hour: Sunday, May 17, 2009–Monday, May 18, 2009**

* * *

Have you ever faced death before?

Have you stared it straight in the eyes and felt that chill descend over you?

Have you wanted to fight, wanted to run, wanted to do _something_ in order to escape from its grasp?

Have you ever _despaired_?

If you have, then that would be how it was like to battle against the Reaper…

…or, at least, that was how it _normally_ went.

But the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad wasn't reckless enough to challenge the avatar of death on their very first meeting.

In fact, their initial encounter with the Reaper was a bit of an odd story…

Well, the events that led up to it were odd in any case.

And it all started on the twentieth floor of the Arqa block in Tartarus with a certain gold treasure chest…

"Dude!" Junpei exclaimed as he tilted his cap back with an excited grin, "Check this out," he knocked his knuckles against the shiny metal, "Solid gold, baby!"

Yukari rolled her eyes and pushed his cap down–"HEY!"–before sniping, "Ever heard of fool's gold, Stupei?"

Said boy sputtered indignantly–"Of course I have! And _stop_ calling me that!"–as Minako crouched down to their new find and brushed her fingers across the elegant grooves.

"You know," she mused with furrowed brows, "This floor's pretty weird," worry was evident in her eyes, "There aren't any Shadows around and," she leaned back to look down the hall where two common ones laid, "There are all of these treasures…"

A shift from the corner of her eyes drew her attention to Minato whose short question echoed her thoughts, "A trap?"

Hearing their soft conversation, Yukari paused from heckling the taller boy and suggested warily, "Maybe we should just move onto the next floor…?"

But Junpei quickly interjected with a snort, "Aw, come on! Don't be a spoil-sport, Yuka-tan," said girl shot him an irritated look but he ignored it to gesture around, "This is, like, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get some loot! We should take advantage of the situation!"

The Wild Cards glanced at one another in question before their attention was diverted when Yukari poked Junpei in the chest rather viciously.

"And if a stronger Shadow jumps out at us, then what?!" the archer snapped back, causing the capped boy to shrink a bit, before she turned to eye the gold treasure chest cautiously, "In fact, what if it's actually hiding in there _right now_…?"

There was a moment of silence as everyone slowly edged away from the innocuous-looking object before–

"EEK!"

–Minako and Minato whirled around, weapons ready, only to see–

"You– You– ARGH–!"

–a flushed Yukari attempting to smack the cackling teenager over the head with her bow.

"Aw~ Is Yuka-tan scared of wittle ol' me?" Junpei teased as he ducked a swipe and chuckled, "I can't believe you _actually_ fell for that!"

Her face darkened even further and she notched an arrow onto her bow.

"Whoa!" Junpei jumped back with his hands thrown up defensively, "Watch where you're pointing that thing!"

The archer simply advanced on him threateningly and the capped boy yelped before hiding behind Minako, crying, "Save me, Mina-tan~!"

Said brunette sweated as Yukari shouted, "Stop being a coward and face me like a man, Stupei!"

"Hey, I happen to actually _value_ my life," he quipped before ducking when an arrow shot passed him and embedded itself into the blood-stained wall and squeaking, "She's gonna eat– I mean– kill me!"

Unsure of how to react to being a human shield, Minako simply smiled nervously as she was turned to always face Yukari who circled around for an opening with a vengeful glint in her eyes.

_And I ask myself once more,_ she thought in exasperation, _Why am _I_ the lead– _

Her thoughts were abruptly cut off when she caught sight of Minato crouching in front of the treasure chest.

Or, more accurately, he was crouching in front of the _open_ treasure chest.

And there was something strange about his expression.

_Is he…blushing?_

Minako was a bit baffled by that and swiftly maneuvered out of Junpei's grip–

"Got you now!"

"GAH! Mina-tan, how could you leave your best-est buddy in the whole, wide wo–AH!"

"Prepare yourself, Stupei!"

"NoooOoooOooo~!"

–before stepping beside the blue-haired boy and calling out to him, "Minato-kun?"

He twitched and stiffly turned his head to look at the curious brunette before abruptly dropping the item and–

Bataan!

–slamming the treasure chest close.

There was a pause as everyone stared at him in surprise and one could almost hear the Shadows crawling from the floors above and below them…

…until Junpei sidled up to him with a mischievous grin.

"Ohoho~ And what was _that_ all about?" he almost cackled when Minato's blush seemed to darken but instead rested an arm on the shorter male's head and reached out for the gold trunk, "And what do we have here~?"

Silver eyes widened in an almost panicked manner but the blue-haired boy didn't react in time and Junpei popped open the treasure chest with obvious glee.

"Now let's see~…"

Dark eyes widened and his jaw dropped comically.

The girls suddenly felt a chill run down their spines as they shivered simultaneously.

_Oh no…_ they unknowingly mimicked each other's thoughts, _He's got _that look_ on his face now. _

_That look_ usually meant that he was going to do something that would embarrass them all to hell and back.

"M-Maybe we should get going?" Yukari whispered to her fellow brunette before squeaking softly and hiding behind her upon seeing the glint in the capped boy's eyes, "Y-You know, before w-we regret staying here?"

Minako swallowed and resisted the urge to back away from the leer that was becoming ever-more evident on Junpei's face (if only because she would've tripped over the slightly shorter girl) before clearing her throat and agreeing, "We should get a move on, guys. We've been here for a while now…"

Her words trailed off as Junpei began chuckling lowly.

They could almost see a pair of horns jutting out of his cap and a forked tail wagging slyly behind him.

Increasingly worried, Minako shot Minato a look that practically screamed "HELP!" but he refused to meet her gaze and opted to glare at his shoes, still blushing deeply.

"So~," Junpei almost sang as he advanced on the girls, "Who shall try _this_ on for size~?"

Red and brown eyes widened in horror.

The…_thing_…that he was holding was made of white strips of fabric that acted as panties and were attached to silver armor that made up the brassiere along with gloves and boots and…and that was it.

_That_ was _it_.

Each brunette stuttered incoherently.

The outfit was essentially nothing more than a _lingerie_ suited with pieces of metal!

And they came to only one conclusion as they glanced at each other and made use of that uniquely timed telepathy–

_RUN!_

–before bolting immediately.

Surprised at how they seemed to vanish from sight, Junpei floundered for a moment before smacking his cheeks to focus and adopting the most serious expression seen as of yet.

Without turning to him, the capped boy grabbed the blue-haired boy by the collar–

"AFTER THEM!"

–and dragged him along in order to hunt down the elusive females.

(Along the way, they popped open the other two treasure chests to find an Amenity Suit and a Revival Bead.)

The jaunty tune that Junpei whistled was completely inappropriate for their surroundings.

Indeed, it sounded sinister as Minako and Yukari suddenly found themselves faced with a dead end.

"Of all the–!" the archer cursed their cliched situation before turning desperately to her leader, "What do we do now?!"

Biting her lower lip, Minako ran through all of their options and patted herself down, nervously asking, "I don't suppose you have a Traesto Gem…?"

The shorter brunette rummaged through her pack and the increasingly agitated look on her face told all.

_If only Traesto was a skill…!_

Her Personae fluttered in her mind apologetically but she couldn't blame them for her current situation.

_What to do…?_

A shadow casted over them and they froze upon hearing a familiar cheer,

"Ta da da da~!"

Slowly turning to face the boys, Minako and Yukari clutched their weapons close to their chests and swallowed thickly.

_We're doomed, aren't we?_

Poor Minato was torn as to what to do.

On the one hand, he'd already vowed to protect his other half _no matter what_ (and that fearful look on her face made his heart clench oh-so painfully) but, on the other hand, he was a growing _teenager_ and the thought of seeing Minako in that outfit…

He palmed his forehead as his cheeks continued to burn fiercely, silently cursing that which was known as hormones.

_Sometimes I wish I really _were_ stone-faced… _

"N-Not a step closer," Yukari stuttered as she notched an arrow, "I swear I'll shoot…!"

Junpei looked exaggeratedly hurt as he whined, "Don't be like that, Yuka-tan~! Wearing it won't kill ya, y'know? Besides, doesn't it look _fashionable_?"

A vein throbbed on her temple.

"I'll die from _embarrassment_!" was her immediate comeback, "And if it's so _fashionable_, then why don't _you_ wear it?!"

The capped boy made a face and shuddered.

"No," he actually sounded a bit traumatized, "Just… _No_."

"Well, now you know how _we_ feel," Yukari huffed as she regained a bit of her confidence but didn't lower her bow, "That _thing_ is completely _degrading_ to our gender."

And now he looked on the fence about it.

Seeing their opponent waver, Minako wordlessly pleaded with her still-potential ally.

Hesitant silver eyes met with watery red ones and Minato just _melted_ in response.

Finally getting his act together, the blue-haired boy walked over to the taller male and swiped the equipment–"OI!"–from him before tossing it to the girls when–

"Is something the matter?"

–Mitsuru's voice echoed through their minds.

"You've been running around that same floor for a while now," she continued with the vaguest hint of worry, "Has something come up? Should I send reinforcements?"

Minako parted her lips to respond when–

"Actually, Senpai…"

–Junpei appeared to have gotten a second wind if the glint in his eyes meant anything.

"Yes, Iori?" her voice was as professional as ever but the brunettes were starting to feel wary again, "Can I help in any way?"

"We found something pretty interesting," the capped boy continued impishly, "I think it's a pretty rare armor for the ladies but they don't want to wear it."

"Armor?" Mitsuru sounded curious and asked, "Shall I attempt to scan it?"

Before Minako could respond in the negative, Junpei cut in rather gravely, "That would be best, Senpai. I mean, everything little thing counts, right? Tartarus _is_ a dangerous place after all and we need _all_ the help we can get."

At this point, the others just stared at him incredulously.

_But _you're_ the one who always disregards priorities!_

Everything went over his head and there was a pause as Minako hoped dearly that the redhead had caught onto Junpei's uncharacteristic explanation but–

"It would appear that there's spiritual energy of some form infused in it."

–Mitsuru seemed utterly intrigued by the equipment, explaining,

"From what I can read, that attribute heightens the wearer's defense considerably and will prove to be very useful until we can find an even _higher_ tier armor."

"So one of the girls should wear it, right?" Junpei was grinning like a madman and he would've been cackling too if he hadn't been keeping up his act, "I mean, it's way too small for either Minato or me."

"Indeed," the redhead mused, "While I do not have a clear picture of it, I feel that Inoue would best fit in it…"

She trailed off when said brunette squeaked in a rather undignified manner.

"Is something wrong with my assessment?" Mitsuru asked with clear puzzlement, "The armor appears to be resonating best with your own spiritual energy."

Minako tried to answer but felt far too mortified to even mimic a fish.

"Senpai," Minato spoke up with just the slightest hint of hesitation in his voice, "The armor is a bit…revealing."

Junpei shot him a betrayed look but he ignored it.

_Ko-chan's more important, damn it!_

There was a pause before the third year spoke slowly, "I think…that survival is more important than pride in this situation."

The connection cut off and the capped boy whooped loudly as Minako fell to her knees in despair.

Yukari looked torn between cursing out the redhead, beating up Junpei, standing awkwardly with the frozen male or feeling utterly relieved that _she_ wouldn't be wearing it.

One look at her trembling leader though tugged at her heartstrings and the shorter brunette crouched down to pat Minako on the back, sympathetically suggesting,

"Maybe you can wear your uniform over it?"

.

.

.

As it turned out, the magic that boosted the armor's defense also repelled outer clothes (for reasons uknown).

But Minako attempted another way to save her dwindling self-respect by wearing her uniform underneath it.

Unfortunately, given how the Battle Panties contoured perfectly to her body, it was also a no go.

And so the brunette was forced to wear it in all of its original glory.

"Are you done yet~?"

Minako made a face upon hearing the sing-song voice of her not-so best buddy in the whole wide world and huffed,

"Go away."

"Aw~ Don't be like that, Mina-tan~," Junpei cooed in a way that made her skin crawl, "I'm sure you look absolutely _sex_–OW!"

"Stop being such a pervert, _Stupei_," Yukari spoke in clear disgust, "Seriously. You deserve to be black and blue right about now," knuckles cracked threateningly, "In fact…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa–!" there was some shuffling before he yelped, "Oi, Minato, help your buddy out, why don't ya?!"

Said Wild Card didn't respond and Minako readjusted her gloves nervously.

_Should I go out…?_

Well, she knew that she couldn't stay hidden for long since the Dark Hour would end sooner or later.

"…Minako-chan."

She nearly screamed upon hearing his voice so close to her temporary private room.

"M-Minato-kun…?"

He didn't say anything for a few seconds before mumbling, "You…can hide behind me…if you want to, of course."

The brunette bit her lower lip, vaguely registering the girlish shrieks of pain in the other hallway, before nodding to herself.

_We have to move on anyway._

Taking a deep breath, she held it in and counted to ten before slowly releasing the air.

_Okay, Minako, you can do this…!_

Peeking around the corner of the space that she occupied, the leader of SEES saw the familiar slouch of Minato's back and gulped once before stepping out.

The blue-haired boy couldn't help but tense upon hearing the soft clicking of her high-heels and blushed yet again when he felt her grab onto the back of his jacket.

Swallowing back the urge to turn around and _see_ her, he asked instead, "Ready?"

Her grip tightened and she nodded, whispering, "Yea–"

She was cut off by the sound of rattling chains and the two Wild Cards froze as _something_ pushed down on them.

A beep and–

"Inoue! Arisato! I sense Death!"

–Mitsuru's voice boomed with undisguised fear,

"You must hurry and find the staircase before it catches up to you!"

And there was a whirl of action as they sprinted forward though the brunette stumbled a bit at first, unused to her new attire.

"…Where are Yukari and Junpei?!" Minako demanded after regaining her balance, "Are they safe?!"

"…Yes," the redhead responded after a moment though the stress in her voice hadn't lowered as the sound of metal dragging became even louder, "They've found the exit and– Turn right!"

The duo rounded the corner and the brunette would've tripped had Minato not grabbed her arm and steadied her.

A flash of black appeared in the corner of their eyes and Mitsuru snapped, "Go left and then the second right!"

They followed her directions and a gunshot resounded–

"Inoue!"

–and said girl flinched when the bullet luckily ricocheted off of her naginata before–

"Move…!"

–the blue-haired boy tackled her and they rolled–

"Minako! Minato-kun!"

–before stopping at the base of the staircase where Yukari stood with her bow ready and aiming at the sole entrance to the area.

"Here it comes…!"

The rattling of chains almost echoed in their ears and Junpei swallowed loudly before–

"…huh…?"

–the Reaper stopped just outside of their space.

It (_he, she?_) cocked its (_his, her?_) head to the side as its (_his, her?_) single eye was fixed on the Wild Cards before–

"Shishishishi~…"

–it _giggled_.

The sound was low and soft and breathless and almost _childish_ in a way that sent shivers of apprehension running through their bodies.

But it snapped them out of their stunned state and they scrambled up the stairs.

Red eyes chanced a glance back at the Reaper just before the floor changed and flickered with confusion.

_Is it…_sad_…to see us go?_

But then she blinked and suddenly they were on the twenty-first floor.

_Why would it…?_

Warmth brushed over her hand and she turned to see Minato looking at her with worry in his eyes.

"I'm okay," Minako whispered with a weak smile as she pushed the question to the back of her mind and looked him over, "What about you?"

He simply nodded and his eyes trailed downwards before abruptly snapping to the side as he _froze_.

Confused, the brunette leaned forward and waved a hand in front of his face, calling out, "Minato-kun…?"

A dark blush covered his cheeks and she was about to question him when a loud catcall made her jump.

"Wow, Mina-tan~," Junpei waggled his brows as if they hadn't just been chased by death's avatar and leered, "You're lookin' _mighty fine_~!"

For a second, she didn't understand until–

_Ah!_

–she remembered her current state of appearance and wrapped an arm over her chest before–

"S-Stupei!"

–throwing her weapon at the capped boy, making him yelp indignantly,

"It was a _compliment_!"

But Minako didn't want to hear it as she tried to cover herself up only to fail miserably with a blush that matched Minato's.

"Aw~ Don't be so shy~," Junpei continued teasing her upon seeing the brunette retract into herself, "You should show off your body more! And who knows, maybe you'll get a _boyfriend_ sometime soon? In fact…"

His eyes glittered mischievously as he leaned towards her.

"That's sexual harassment right there!" Yukari snapped as she raised her bow threateningly, "Why I ought to–!"

But she was abruptly cut off when–

Paki!

–a spire of ice shot out from under the capped boy–

"_Holy_– Are you _trying_ to kill me?!"

–who barely jumped away from the deadly attack and shouted at the blue-haired boy.

"Don't worry," Minato spoke lowly and silkily, "I won't _kill_ you…"

Silver eyes glinted dangerously.

"I'll just _maim_ you for a bit."

Dark eyes widened at that before–

"Not the balls! _Not_ the _ball_! Anything but that–!"

–Junpei was sent running for the sake of his manhood as the ironically Magician-based Persona giggled cheerfully,

"Hee ho!"

And so concludes their first meeting with the Reaper…

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**Good? Bad? Do tell me in a review!**


	3. Pharos

**I actually wrote this before the Facing Death chapter but stopped because of a major headache... Anyway, ****Pharos–I adore him and I hope you guys do too because this one-shot centers around his meetings with Minako and Minato. :P**

**To Guest _?_, thank you for reviewing! I'm glad that you enjoyed the previous chapter. :D Haha, yeah, I do tend to pick on Minako... But that shall change in this one-shot! *evil laugh* And many thanks for the suggestions; I shall try my best to take them into account in later one-shots.**

**And now, without further ado, enjoy! C:**

* * *

_**Fragments of Our Life**_

**Pharos**

* * *

**Monday, April 20, 2009**

* * *

_So tired… _

Half-lidded red eyes stared up at the cream-colored ceiling, blinking slowly.

_Too bad my thoughts won't shut up… _

A groan left her lips as she raised her hands to rub at her throbbing temple.

_Shadows… Personae… The Dark Hour… SEES… _

She wondered how her life had suddenly turned out like this barely two weeks after returning to Iwatodai.

_Maybe I really am cursed…?_

A blink later and everything was suddenly bathed in green.

_Eh?! It's this late already?!_

Not bothering to look at the clock, Minako ducked under her blanket and curled up into a tight ball in an effort to ignore the faint metallic scent.

_Just sleep, Minako. Sleep and ignore it all…_

The soft sound of strings echoed in her mind and she tensed for a second in surprise before slowly relaxing as a soothing melody played.

_…Thank you…Eurydice… _

Her chest seemed to hum with warmth and the brunette couldn't help but smile as her eyes began to flutter close.

_This is nice… _she thought while snuggling into her pillow, _The last time someone helped me sleep was… _

A gentle voice, a bright smile and the feel of warm arms around her ghosted at her senses.

_Mama… _

She began dozing off, trying to lose herself in those distant shards of memories, when–

"Hi, how are you?"

–she jerked upright and reflexively threw her pillow at her intruder.

It thumped against his face and fell to the floor.

Minako stared at the young boy in shock, recognizing his bright blue eyes and distinct birthmark, before she scrambled out of bed and cupped his face, stuttering,

"S-Sorry! You surprised me and I just reacted and–!"

A faint smile played on his lips as he reached up and held her hands.

_Cold,_ she blinked in confusion, _Why is he so cold?_

"It's fine," came his rather airy response, "There was no pain."

And, looking him over, the brunette saw that the mysterious boy didn't seem ruffled in the slightest. There wasn't even the faintest pinkness to his nose that indicated a direct hit to his face.

"…If you say so," Minako murmured after another moment of simply looking him over before she took a step back and dropped her hands, "So… Who are you?"

"We've met before," he chuckled softly and she was about to explain that that wasn't what she meant when he suddenly said, "Soon, the end will come."

Stunned by the non sequitur, the brunette simply gaped at him.

But he showed no signs of bother or even amusement as he continued speaking lightly, "I remembered, so I thought I should tell you."

Closing her jaw with a click, Minako responded hesitantly, "Thanks…?"

A flicker of surprise danced across his face before he laughed gently, "I wasn't expecting you to thank me," he paused a beat, "But you're welcome," uncertainty crept up in his eyes, "That…is what I'm supposed to say, right?"

The way that he suddenly seemed so confused with something that should've been basic tugged at her heart in an endearing manner and she couldn't help but reach out to ruffle his hair with a smile and a nod.

He returned it with one of his own, looking less empty and almost childishly delighted at the gesture, before a frown appeared on his lips.

"What is it?" Minako asked as she saw his sudden change in mood, "Is something wrong?"

Her hand slipped from his head, about to retreat to her side, when he grabbed it in a gentle but surprisingly firm hold.

"I…to be honest," he looked vaguely disturbed and his grip tightened a bit, "I don't really know what this 'end' is about."

_The end… _

It could've referred to anything from benign to utterly disastrous and _something_ tugged at her but she ignored it in favor of feeling empathetic towards the mysterious boy because she too knew the feeling of _not knowing_.

Instead, she simply tugged him into a hug.

He stood awkwardly in her embrace, as if unsure of what she was doing, before his arms slowly wrapped around her waist in an attempt to mimic her.

For a moment, they simply stood there and basked in the gesture of comfort.

"…Oh," the child shifted in her arms and tilted his head a bit as if hearing and seeing something within her, "Looks like you've awakened to your power…and an unusual power it is."

His eyes glazed over as he murmured more to himself than to her, "A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none…"

_He knows?_

Minako supposed that she shouldn't be too surprised considering the fact that the contract he'd given her had appeared in Igor's hands in addition to his being an overall enigma but…

"It may prove to be your salvation," a flicker of pain and mild perplexity danced across his face, "Depending on where you end up."

A stilted silence fell over them…

_What does that mean…?_

…before he randomly asked, "Do you remember when we first met?"

An image of the young boy standing behind the receptionist desk with two red booklets flashed across her mind's eye.

He smiled and stepped back, "I expect you to honor your commitment."

_I chooseth this fate of mine own free will._

"I'll be watching you," he continued and, for some unknown reason, Minako felt that that was _right _before his smile turned faintly melancholic, "Even if you forget about me…"

She wanted to protest that she remembered because it had barely been two weeks but he was fading into the shadows, whispering,

"Okay then, see you later…"

And she was alone again.

Wrapping her arms around herself, Minako stumbled back and landed on her bed heavily before rubbing her face and sighing with a hint of exhaustion.

_Where did normalcy go…? _

And the Dark Hour ended.

* * *

**Monday, June 06, 2009–Dark Hour–Tuesday, June 07, 2009**

* * *

"…ngh…"

Silver eyes fluttered open to see black darkness slowly fading into and eerie mix of blue and indigo.

_Where…am I…?_

Pushing himself up, Minato winced as his temples throbbed painfully and he cradled his head gingerly to avoid exacerbating it. For a moment, he closed his eyes and simply sat there, breathing slowly until the fuzziness cleared. Reopening his eyes, the blue-haired boy looked around.

_This is…Tartarus…?_

He frowned as he took note of the different color and scheme, concluding that this was a new area that he and the others–

"Minako…!"

Jerking a bit, he whipped his head around to find her but saw no one around as the floor appeared ominously quiet.

Biting his tongue, Minato quickly stood and patted himself down, losing some of his tension once he realized that he still had his weapon, Evoker and other belongings.

"Tch," he adjusted his grip on his katana and narrowed his eyes in thought, _Now what?_

"Oh, you're awake."

Whirling around, the blue-haired boy barely stopped himself from slicing through the child. As it was, the blade stopped a mere centimeter away. Minato grimaced at that and sheathed his weapon, grunting,

"You…"

His visitor tilted his head a bit, as if wondering how he should take that comment, before he smiled faintly and mused, "I'm glad that you remember me," his large blue eyes trailed around their surroundings, "This is the first time we've spoken outside of your room, isn't it?"

Minato didn't bother replying to the other's rhetorical question and looked around again, asking, "Where are the others?"

_Where's Minako?_

"Don't worry," the mysterious boy chuckled almost cheerfully, "You'll see them soon," his smile turned a bit mischievous, "She, on the other hand…"

Silver eyes glinted steely as his grip tightened around the hilt of his katana and he took a half-step forward when–

"Minato-kun…?"

–he quickly turned around in surprise.

Confusion and relief were evident on her face as she stepped out of the shadows, gripping her naginata close to her chest.

"Thank goodness," she sighed softly as her tense shoulders relaxed a bit, "I was worried that I might've missed you…"

"Minako-…chan," he barely remembered to add the honorific as his worry further dissipated and he looked her over with a critical eye, "Are you okay?"

Smiling weakly, the brunette turned a bit to show her unharmed body as her skirt fluttered around her legs, answering, "I'm good. A bit disoriented at first but I think that's 'cause of how we entered…"

Red eyes trailed over his form and Minato mimicked her actions to show that he too was fine.

Stepping closer to her companion, Minako caught sight of the mysterious boy and perked up, bowing once and chirping, "Thank you so much for telling me where Minato-kun is!"

Said boy blinked, surprised by her comment, as the child clasped his hands behind his back and smiled up at the brunette, speaking softly, "You're welcome."

She smiled back with bright eyes and Minato was a bit irked, feeling as if there was some secret joke being shared between the two, but he pushed the feeling away and asked bluntly, "Why are you here?"

The mysterious boy turned back to the blue-haired boy and that sly undertone entered his voice again as he giggled, "I told you, remember? I'm _always_ with you.

And Minato shivered, unsettled by the emphasis.

But he was snapped out of his anxiety by a tug on his sleeve as red filled his vision.

_Ko-chan…_

She smiled at him before turning back to the child, repeating the question.

"We don't have much time to talk," the child answered with a small frown, "Tonight, there is more than one ordeal you must face," he trailed off as worry flickered in his eyes, "You should hurry," he gestured upwards, "She's waiting for you."

"Do you mean Yamagishi-san?" Minako asked as she straightened up and tightened her grip on her polearm, "Is she okay?"

But the youngest didn't answer and simply stated, "You guys will need her…"

The brunette looked torn between wanting to get more answers and wanting to run off to save the missing girl and Minato was about to step in when the child suddenly straightened up.

"Okay, then," he said and took a step backwards, "I hope we can speak again."

Blue eyes met with red and flickered over to silver and the Wild Cards blinked.

The mysterious boy vanished.

Minako gaped at the spot for a moment as Minato frowned, feeling as if he'd been challenged in some way.

Unfortunately, he couldn't ponder that thought any longer as a familiar beep caught their attention.

"Are…you…alri–? …distance…too far. …can't prove–…back up. … You got s–…from Akihi–…."

Mitsuru's voice abruptly cut off and the two frowned.

Casting a glance at one another, they nodded in silent agreement.

It was time to regroup.

* * *

**Friday, June 12, 2009–Dark Hour–Saturday, June 13, 2009**

* * *

"Whoa…!"

Minako landed with a heavy thud, sprawled awkwardly at the foot of the sofa, and flushed heavily when she saw Minato raise a brow at her. His lips twitched as he suppressed the urge to smile at how cute she was but the brunette saw regardless and huffed at him before pushing herself up and rubbing her back sulkily.

"Stupid Dark Hour," she grumped, trying to glare at the green environment but ending up simply pouting, before she sighed, "Well, I guess it's a good alarm…"

A yawn escaped her lips and she rubbed her eyes sleepily, asking softly, "Are you still working on your homework?"

Writing down the last answer, Minato shook his head and closed his books, answering, "I'm done now."

She stretched and sighed before smiling at him. "That's good! We fell a bit behind with that double ordeal…"

Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened in surprise.

"It's you…!"

Tensing, Minato snapped to attention and pursed his lips in annoyance when he saw a familiar face smile at the brunette.

"You've prevailed yet again," the mysterious boy hummed from his seat on the backrest of the love seat, "But it's funny," his blue eyes slid over to meet Minato's, "Considering the vast potential within you, your victories don't seem too certain…"

Red eyes dimmed and Minako looked away as Minato scowled, automatically placing himself in front of her as a shield. The child looked confused at the gesture before his eyes widened a bit, as if just realizing how scathing his comment sounded given the less than stunning defeat of the most recent Full Moon Shadows, and he looked away. There was a moment of tension but, surprisingly, Minako was the one to break it.

"You're right," she whispered as she gazed seriously as her hands, "Our victories aren't foolproof," Minato pursed his lips, wanting to object but also feeling that she had more to say, "But, that's why I've gotta keep at it," she lifted her gaze and pinned the males with her burning eyes, "I screwed up pretty badly…and I'll probably screw up again but," she shifted her attention to surprised silver orbs and smiled softly, "I shouldn't dwell on my mistakes, right? I should learn from them and move on because…because I'm _not alone_ now."

And he smiled back, feeling so, so _warm_ and _proud_ that she took his words to heart.

Her grin gained a bit more confidence and she returned her gaze to the silent child who seemed deep in thought as he whispered, "Because you have…friends, right…?"

And suddenly he looked so _lonely_ that even Minato felt his heart ache for him despite his usual irritation.

A pale hand reached out and gently brushed against the younger one's cheek, causing him to look up at her in confusion, and Minako smiled brightly at him, chirping, "We're friends too, y'know!"

Blue eyes widened as his jaw dropped just a bit in surprise before the mysterious boy abruptly closed his mouth and smiled back with the faintest blush dusting his cheeks.

Silver eyes narrowed at the way the child was looking at her but Minako seemed oblivious to it as she tilted her head in thought and suddenly gasped,

"Oh…! But I still don't know your name…"

"Name…?" the boy echoed and glanced away before nodding in comprehension, "Oh, I see. I need a name."

The brunette didn't seem all that perturbed that he didn't have a name but she did seem sad and Minato frowned a bit, wondering if it's because of her own situation, but they were shaken out of whatever thoughts they had as the child spoke again.

"My name is…Pharos," said boy smiled up at them, "You may call me that if you wish."

The sound of glass shattering echoed in their minds and Minato tensed with narrowed eyes but Minako simply brightened up.

"…It's getting late, so I'll go now," Pharos said as he reached out to ghost her hand and Minato bristled a bit but wasn't able to do anything as the boy began disappearing into the darkness, whispering, "I'm already looking forward to our next meeting…"

And then he was gone.

A silly grin appeared on Minako's lips as she bounced on the balls of her feet, chirping, "I hope we see Pharos-kun soon!"

Minato gave a noncommittal grunt.

* * *

**Sunday, July 12, 2009–Dark Hour–Monday, July 13, 2009**

* * *

"It's good to see you again."

"Pharos-kun!" Minako greeted happily as she tackled the smaller boy into a hug, "Boy, am I glad to see you…"

Picking up on the strain in her voice, the child frowned a bit even as he hugged her back and his eyes trailed over to the other blue-haired boy. Silver eyes glanced irritably as where the younger one's arms rested around her waist but Minato didn't say anything. Taking that cue to leave the topic alone, Pharos decided to simply muse aloud, "How long has it been since we first met?"

Minako pulled back a bit and scrunched up her nose in thought, "Um… Three months, I think?"

He smiled, "Time passes so quickly," his voice sounded so much older than he looked before swiftly turning childishly curious, "So, how's life as a Persona-user?"

"It's fulfilling!" the brunette chirped as she glanced over at Minato with a smile and a similar one played on his lips.

"Oh," Pharos watched them with a tilt of his head, "That's good to hear," there was a beat of silence before he spoke again, "I remembered something else about the coming of the end…"

Minako frowned a bit at that and plucked at a random thread on the boy's black-and-white outfit, asking softly, "What did you remember, Pharos-kun?"

Blue eyes glazed over in remembrance, "It all goes back to an occurrence that took place many years ago," and they narrowed imperceptibly, "Ten years ago, if I remember correctly," a pause, "Hey…"

The Wild Cards stiffened.

"Didn't both of your parents pass away about ten years ago?"

His jaw clenched as Minato turned away, looking as if he'd eaten something bitter, and Minako bit her bottom lip as her brows furrowed in frustration. Pharos was silent for a moment, looking as if he wondered why they were acting the way they were, before he changed the topic.

"A Persona is like a mirror," he said and the non sequitur caused the other two to look at him in bafflement, "Which means, a Persona-user can never escape from his or her true self."

"True…self…?" Minako whispered as her grip loosened around his shoulders and wrapped around herself, _Can I even have one…if I can't even remember…?_

Warmth from her side roused her from her thoughts and she looked up to see Minato standing beside her with his sharp eyes fixed on Pharos.

Something about it seemed to make him smile and Pharos took a step away, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Regardless, I will stay with you," the young boy said and Minako wondered what she'd missed when he began fading again, "Because we're friends."

Minato seemed to huff at that and Pharos' smile widened as he murmured,

"Good night…"

Minako barely got in her own well wishes before the child disappeared and the two Wild Cards sat on the love seat in silence before she sighed, "Do you think they'll make up?"

The blue-haired boy tilted his head and thought for a second before bumping his shoulder against hers in reassurance.

She smiled up at him and slumped against the backrest, leaning a bit on her companion and making him smile secretly.

_Everything'll be fine…_

* * *

**Friday, August 07, 2009–Dark Hour–Saturday, August 08, 2009**

* * *

"Hi, how are you?"

Silver eyes deadpanned at the child sitting on the table before him before Minato grumped, "Get off. You're crushing my homework."

Pharos giggled at that but did as he was told and reappeared beside the slumbering Minako.

Blue eyes took in the way she nestled her head against her crossed arms and breathed softly before the boy leaned back when a pencil flicked passed him.

"That's dangerous," he commented airily, not at all offended by the attack, "You could've hit Minako-chan."

"No, I wouldn't," Minato snapped back automatically before he narrowed his eyes and spoke lowly, "And since when did you call her that?"

The younger boy simply grinned mischievously at him and the alert Wild Card almost hissed like a feral cat but quieted when the brunette shifted in her sleep and mumbled incoherently before settling down.

There was a beat of silence as each male gazed at her fondly before the older one returned his frigid attention to the child and asked, "Why are you here?"

Pharos parted his lips and Minato abruptly cut in, "Don't say that you're 'always with us' because that's _not_ what I meant."

The younger boy seemed to pout at that before sobering and speaking, "I remembered something else…"

Losing his glare, the older one placed his book down and focused his attention on the other.

"The end won't be brought about by anyone in particular," Pharos continued as he gazed outside at the waning moon, "It's coming because there are many people who wish for it…as if it was destined from the start," his attention returned to Minato as his expression turned vaguely puzzled, "But doesn't that seem like a strange thing to wish for?"

A frown tugged at Minato's lips but he couldn't say anything.

"Dun want it."

The boys jumped a bit and turned their attention to the roused brunette who rubbed her eyes sleepily but maintained a rather serious look that commanded their attention.

"I don't wish for the end," Minako spoke clearly as she straightened up, "Being here, meeting everyone, even if we have to fight," the girl continued earnestly, "I love every bit of it," her cheeks flushed a bit, "Well, except when I mess up."

She mussed her bangs in clear embarrassment and Minato smiled before nodding and agreeing, "Aa, same here."

And she stuck her tongue out at him, knowing that he agreed to every single bit.

Blue eyes dropped to his hands as Pharos thought deeply before he shook his head and spoke again, "There's something else I wanted to tell you today…"

Minako looked over at him with a hint of worry when he trailed off and he quirked a faint smile at her before continuing,

"Soon, the poisonous flowers will bloom," he spoke solemnly and confusion became evident on the Wild Cards' faces, "One in your own garden, and three in the garden opposite yours."

Something akin to apprehension flickered in Minato's eyes as Minako furrowed her brows, pondering the poetic but vague hint.

"I don't know whether or not this has anything to do with the end," Pharos inputted his own thoughts with a dissatisfied frown, "But you should be careful."

"…I don't get it," she said at last and pursed her lips in a pout.

Losing his negativity, Pharos chuckled, "I just wanted you to know," he placed a hand on hers, "That I'm worried about you."

The younger boy hid a cheeky grin when he felt a deathly aura hover from behind him and jumped to his feet.

"I'll come again if I find out anything useful," he continued as he easily brushed off the killing intent, "That's what friends are for, right?"

Minako frowned a bit and reached out a hand to poke him on the forehead, making him blink rapidly in confusion.

"Don't say that," she scolded lightly before softening when his bewilderment intensified, "Just come around whenever you want to," she grinned brightly, "We'll always have time for you _because_ we're friends!"

Blue eyes stared widely at her for a moment and trailed over to the other boy who looked away and nodded a bit stiffly before Pharos glanced down and smiled softly.

"I'll remember that," he whispered before straightening up, "Well then… Good night," he paused and another spark of mischief appeared in his eyes that immediately caught Minato's attention.

"What–?!"

Her question was cut off as Pharos swiftly kissed her on the cheek, teasing gently, "My dearest."

He vanished before Minato could throttle him and the blue-haired teen cursed incoherently, glaring at where the boy had been before turning to sulk as he caught sight of Minako's smile.

_…You better watch your back, Pharos._

He could almost hear the other's giggle.

* * *

**Saturday, August 29, 2009–Dark Hour–Sunday, August 30, 2009**

* * *

"Hel–!"

A pillow to his face cut off his greeting and Pharos pouted a bit when the bag of fluff fell to the floor with a soft thump.

"Well now, that wasn't very nice."

"Don't care," Minato glowered at the younger boy with narrowed eyes, "You deserved it."

Blue eyes sparkled as the other tilted his head and questioned in mock confusion, "Whatever for?"

"You _know_ why," the older one hissed as his eyes turned to slits.

Pharos merely widened his eyes even further and, with a tilt of his head, became the image of perfect innocence.

"You," Minato towered over him as the faintest glow of blue surrounded his form, "You k-k-ki–!"

He couldn't even say it, feeling that dark feeling bubble in his guts again at the very thought of it, and raised his hands as if preparing to choke the other.

A spark of playfulness appeared in his eyes as Pharos practically sang, "I _kissed_ her, yes~?"

And he quickly disappeared when Minato tried to tackle him, reappearing on the older boy's drawer and laughing softly when the Wild Card almost slammed into the wall.

"In any case," Pharos continued, thoroughly ignoring the curses that came his way, "I thought I'd remind you," he disappeared and reappeared at the foot of the bed, dodging the sheathed katana, "The next full moon will be in one week."

"I already know," the older boy growled and pointed his weapon at his perceived intruder, "Now _leave_."

The younger boy heaved a sigh, "I see that I'm not wanted," but his eyes glittered slyly, "So I'll just go where I _am_ wanted."

Silver eyes widened at the implication and Minato made a grab for him but he'd already disappeared with a ghost of a whisper.

"Oh, my dearest~!"

And the Wild Card was left to curse in silence once more before bowing over in depression.

_…I should've thought that through… _

But he wasn't about to leave it as it was and prepared himself.

_Executions or no, I'm not leaving her alone with him…!_

And, like a ninja, he vanished…

…through the door.

* * *

**Saturday, September 12, 2009–Dark Hour–Sunday, September 13, 2009**

* * *

"Hi," Pharos greeted with a childish smile, "It's been a while."

_Not long enough,_ Minato thought irritably as he remembered their last meeting but he couldn't voice his thoughts as Minako greeted the boy happily, _Why does she have to like him…?_

The tip of his pencil broke from pressure and he resisted the urge to sigh.

A poke to his side made him jump involuntarily and Minako giggled at his reaction, making him pout faintly.

"Here," she said as she passed hers over, "You can use mine while I sharpen yours."

He took the pencil, feeling a bit amused by the pink wrapping and familiar hamster character, and returned to his work while keeping an eye on the smiling child.

Blue eyes caught his and Pharos' smile grew, gaining a slightly evil (in his honest opinion) hint to it, and Minato twitched, wanting to throw his borrowed pencil at the other but refrained from doing so.

"So," Minako spoke up as she stuck the tip-less pencil into the sharpener and turned it, "What should we talk about, Pharos-kun?"

Said boy hummed a bit from his place on the table, kicking his feet a bit, before he reflected softly, "Three seasons have passed since we met," and wonder lit his eyes, "Time goes by so quickly, and many things change," before he gazed at the Wild Cards softly, "Yet, some things will always remain the same… Don't you agree?"

The brunette tilted her head a bit as she thought about that before she smiled and nodded in agreement, "Yeah. Some things just don't change."

Her eyes sought out silver ones before Minako paused and glanced away with a puzzled look on her face, _Why did I…?_

"Yes," Pharos continued, hiding a smile when he saw her subconscious glance while Minato remain oblivious, "By the way, speaking with you both has stirred up certain memories…"

The older boy paused in his writing as the girl blinked and tilted her head in silent question.

"…That tower for instance," the child murmured after a second's hesitation, "I've been thinking about it lately…"

The Wild Cards glanced at one another.

"I wonder," Pharos seemed to be mumbling to himself, "Will our relationship stay the same…?"

His eyes trailed to hers as he asked, "Or, will it evolve…?"

Minato pursed his lips, not liking the sound of that, but said nothing given how lost the child suddenly seemed.

Shaking his head, the younger boy smiled at them, speaking softly, "No matter what the future holds, you and I will always be friends," he stood up, "That is for certain."

_So why do you seem so sad?_ Minako couldn't help but question and parted her lips to ask when he suddenly leaned in.

Minato's knee jerked and hit the table, making Pharos grin craftily.

"I'll come again," the younger boy chirped and brushed his nose against hers in an innocent eskimo kiss, "Until then, good night…"

And she blinked owlishly as he whispered in her ear,

"My dearest…"

He disappeared and a hiss from Minato snapped her out of her surprise, causing her to turn to him with a worried look on her face.

"Are you okay, Minato-kun?" she asked as she crawled over to him and placed a hand on his knee, massaging it lightly, "Does it hurt badly…?"

He knew his cheeks were burning and didn't trust his voice so he simply shook his head in the negative.

_I'm fine… _

She frowned a bit and glanced away for a moment before perking up as a thought hit her.

Seeing this, Minato was about to question her when he froze instead, staring at her incredulously.

_You…!_

She straightened up and smiled a bit sheepishly before bouncing to her feet and retreating upstairs, chirping, "Nighty-night, Minato-kun~!"

_… _

The moment her footsteps became inaudible, the blue-haired boy fell onto his back and pressed his cold hands against his heated cheeks.

_She kissed me… _

Albeit on his injured knee but…

_She _kissed_ me._

Pressing his knuckles against his lips, Minato couldn't stop himself from grinning goofily.

_Maybe I'll let him slide this time… _

* * *

**Tuesday, October 06, 2009–Dark Hour–Wednesday, October 07, 2009**

* * *

A warm breath caused the window to fog up and a finger drew a frowning face before pausing and wiping it away as a familiar presence made himself known.

"…It's cold tonight," Pharos commented airily as he sat on the edge of her bed, "Can you believe it's already autumn?" he was twirling a red leaf in hand, "It'll be winter before you know it…"

He trailed off as he finally took note of her pallid complexion.

Frowning, the boy reappeared beside her and brushed his fingers against her cold cheek, murmuring, "You seem tired…"

She didn't respond and he lowered his voice, asking softly, "Did something happen…?"

Red eyes glanced to the lower right in remembrance before Minako finally spoke, "Say, Pharos-kun," she paused and fiddled with her pajamas before taking a deep breath and asking, "What do you… What do you think of death…?"

Blue eyes blinked at the seemingly random question but the boy took the question in stride and responded after a moment's thought,

"In this world, people die every day," he saw her flinch but continued on, "Until recently, this was the same to me as the blowing of the wind," red eyes raised to catch his in interest, "But now, I see things differently," he smiled softly and held her hands, "For the first time, I have a friend…_two_ friends," he amended and she chuckled softly.

"…Sometimes, with the way you two act," Minako smiled wryly, "I'd wonder if maybe you were brothers."

His eyes widened a bit at that and a thoughtful frown appeared on his lips before he smiled with a hint of shyness, "Do you really think so?"

She tapped her lips and pondered for a moment longer before smiling back and nodding, "Yup! Truth be told…"

Leaning back a bit to get a better look, Minako trailed her eyes from his dark blue hair to his facial features and poked his birthmark, humming, "I'd probably mistaken you two as family if I hadn't known any better…"

Red eyes softened before she pulled him into a hug, giggling, "Well, regardless, I think you're already family to us," she paused, "Even if Toto-kun's being stubborn."

Pharos laughed at that and they fell into a comfortable silence as Minako began nodding off. Her head bobbed a few times before resting against his as her grip relaxed. The boy smiled and shifted in her loose embrace until he slipped out and padded over to her bed to grab a blanket before pausing.

"…Should you be in here?" he asked lightly and glanced over at the door, "Again, Minato-kun?"

Silver eyes gave him a _look_ and Pharos grinned cheekily before Minato shook his head and sighed, closing the door quietly behind him and answering, "So long as I don't get caught, I doubt anyone would care."

He paused and slipped his arms behind Minako's shoulders and under her knees, lifting her up easily before continuing, "Besides, she remembers now so she won't care," another pause before he amended, "Much."

Pharos chuckled at that and pulled back the blanket before Minato tucked her in and sat on the edge of her bed, glancing over at the younger boy and asking, "So? You've got something on your mind, right?"

Blue eyes widened at that and the Wild Card rolled his own.

"Even though we've already told you to visit whenever, you still only come when you have something important to say," the teenager pointed out with a sharp glance, "Spill it."

The child didn't say anything for a moment before smiling with a hint of amusement, "Isn't this how a 'Papa' is supposed to act?"

Heat dusted his cheeks and Minato flicked the boy's forehead, grumbling, "I'm not old enough to be a father."

And Pharos' grin widened as he continued to tease, "But you'd want to be one if Minako-chan's the 'Mama' right~?"

Choking a bit on his spit, the Wild Card blushed furiously before roughly mussing the boy's hair and scowling, "S-Spill it already…!"

Snickering a bit longer, the younger boy finally calmed down and his smile faded as he answered soberly, "You know the end I've spoken of?"

Embarrassment fading, Minato straightened up a bit and subconsciously grasped Minako's hand.

"Some people refer to it as 'the Fall' but, regardless," Pharos continued as he bowed his head a bit, "It's drawing near."

Blue eyes raised to pin the older boy's gaze with hint of worry, "Don't you sense it…?"

The confusion in those silver orbs answered his question and the child suddenly seemed extraordinarily _desolate_, "We are kindred spirits, you and I," he glanced at Minako for a second before turning away with a pained look, "So why is it that only I can remember?"

His small hands clutched his shirt, just over his chest, as he whispered, "This is a heartrending matter… Is my existence something you are unable to accept…?"

His smile was filled with melancholy.

And Minato wasn't sure how to reply.

Finally, the younger boy shook his head and stood up.

"Forgive me if I have said anything peculiar today," Pharos murmured as he looked outside, "Perhaps it is the change of seasons," he turned back to him, "Of course, our friendship remains steadfast."

A pause as he looked over at the brunette and stepped forward to pat her head, "Well… I shall bid you farewell for now," Minato allowed him to and simply nodded as a brighter smile played on Pharos' lips, "Good night," he stepped away, "I'll always be by your side…"

And once more he was swallowed by the shadows.

Silver eyes closed for a moment until the heavy atmosphere faded and reopened to see the normal night once more. With a sigh, he got up and was about to return to his room when he felt her grip tighten. Looking over at her, Minato sighed softly at her huddled form.

"You heard."

She didn't say anything for a moment before pushing away her cover and looking up at him sadly.

"What have we forgotten?" Minako asked softly, "Is it that night…?"

And Minato pursed his lips, not answering.

Because even he was unsure.

* * *

**Wednesday, November 04, 2009**

* * *

"Good morning."

Thunk!

"Shi–!"

Minato cursed incoherently and rubbed at his newly acquired bump, glaring weakly at the child as Minako giggled from her seat on his bed.

"Good morning, Pharos-kun," she greeted him after smiling apologetically at her other half, "This is new."

Grinning unrepentantly at the still-scowling male, Pharos turned to the brunette and tilted his head in thought before musing, "That's right. This is the first time we've talked during the daytime, isn't it?"

"Yup," Minako chirped and stretched before falling backwards on the bed, "I'm still a little sleepy to be honest…"

Silver eyes rolled and Minato nudged her over, making her pout though she complied, before he sat down and drawled, "So what's up?"

Pharos hummed softly as he gazed at the sunlight that trickled into the room with a fascinated look on his face, "Nice weather, isn't it?"

"Yeah," the brunette smiled as she pushed herself up and followed the child's line of sight, "It's a brand new day."

"A brand new day," he repeated and his shoulders slumped a bit, "For all of us."

Worry appeared in her red eyes as Minako glanced over at Minato who frowned and sat up.

Blue eyes dulled as Pharos turned away from the sunlight and gazed at a shadowed corner of the room, whispering, "All the fragments of my memory… They've finally come together."

Their eyes widened in surprise as anxiety clenched their stomachs.

"I now know my role clearly," the child seemed increasingly distressed, "The time has come…"

He bit his lower lip and hesitated.

Warmth wrapped around his small hands and Pharos looked up to see Minako gazing warmly at him.

"No matter what," she spoke softly, "We'll always be together."

And he smiled, chuckling weakly, "'I'm always with you,' huh…"

His grip tightened around hers and his smile tipped back into a frown.

"As difficult as it may be," he paused, not wanting to continue but knowing that he must, "I must tell you something…"

Minato pursed his lips, feeling his heart ache twice over, before speaking bluntly, "You're leaving."

Minako tensed, looking alarmed and yet expecting, and Pharos smiled sadly, murmuring, "Yes. I am afraid this is goodbye…"

"…Why?" the brunette asked as she glanced between the two males, looking hurt and disturbed and so, so _sorrowful_, and their hearts called out to her, "Do you really have to go…?"

At that moment, she looked much younger than she was, like a lost child, whereas the smaller boy seemed to age with regret as he nodded slowly.

Biting her lower lip, Minako struggled internally before pulling the younger boy into a tight hug, sniffling, "Will you come back…?"

He was silent for a moment, simply returning her affection, before mumbling against her shoulder, "I want you to know," he glanced over at Minato to make sure that he was listening (and he was), "For me, our friendship was a miracle," _Because I'm not human, _went unsaid but not unnoticed, "But, miracles don't last forever."

_If only they did… _

Her grip tightened and Minato shifted closer, wrapping his arms around both of them, as he swallowed his own bitterness at the situation…

_…but there's no such thing as forever anyway._

…because, despite their initial conflict, he'd grown to care for the mysterious boy who came and went like a ghost and knew of things that couldn't be explained.

"I shall treasure our conversations always," Pharos continued softly, "Even if today is the end, the bond between us can never be severed."

He pulled back and gave a watery smile that brought tears to her eyes.

"Remember that, Minako-chan, Minato-kun."

A surge of power rushed through their bodies but they ignored it to focus on the fading boy, wanting to commit him to their immortal _soul_.

"It was fun while it lasted," Pharos reluctantly slipped out of her embrace and took a step backwards before he looked over at the other male and chuckled, "Oh, but I won't give up, Minato-kun."

Silver eyes narrowed at that and the younger boy grinned cheekily, sorrowfully, _joyfully_.

"Farewell…"

And silence reigned as Minako held Minato's hand tightly.

_Let's meet again… _

* * *

**Monday, November 09, 2009**

* * *

"Somehow, everyone seems pretty excited," Minako whispered to the blue-haired boy sitting beside her, "Don't they…?"

Silver eyes gazed lazily at their chattering classmates before Minato shrugged in response, making her pout a bit.

"Alright everyone," Toriumi-sensei caught the class' attention with a clap of her hands, "Today we have yet another transfer student…"

Excitement was almost palpable as Minako tilted her head in interest and Minato slouched in boredom.

"As you all know, this is our third," their teacher smiled wryly, "That makes it a hat trick."

There was a moment of silence as everyone deadpanned and her brow twitched before Toriumi-sensei turned to the closed door and called out,

"…Please introduce yourself."

The door slid open and the Wild Cards almost jerked to attention.

"My name is Ryoji Mochizuki," the newcomer spoke with a soft smile, "I would be grateful if you could show me the ropes."

Familiarity tugged at their core as red and blue glanced at one another in silent question.

_Doesn't he seem…?_

_Yeah…_

They ignored the excited chatter that sprouted up around them and returned their attention to see blue eyes shining brightly in their direction.

"…Nice to meet you."

And their lips quirked up into an unbidden smile.

_(Pharos...)_

* * *

**In character? Out of character? Tell me what you think!**


	4. Summer Festival: Antecedent

**So–! I was listening to the Drama CD for Persona 3 Portable and, thus, was inspired to narrate the events. For a while, I was on the fence about doing the entire thing but, in the end, I decided not to since it was really long and managing all of the characters would be an almost-nightmare... As a result, I just used the beginning and added in my own details so i****t's a bit short but I hope y'all will still enjoy it. :')**

**To Guest _?_, thank you again for reviewing! I'm glad that you enjoyed my rendition of Pharos' visits and that I actually answered one of your questions. Albeit unintentionally, haha...**

* * *

_**Fragments of Our Life**_

**Summer Festival: Antecedent**

* * *

**Saturday, August 15, 2009**

* * *

Slam!

Blue and red eyes blinked in surprise and looked towards the open door just as a familiar voice shouted,

"Junpei Iori has finally returned!"

He posed in the doorway as the sunset shined dramatically from behind, haloing his form in golden light, before–

"Hey!"

–he was shoved forward and–

"We're home~!"

–interrupted by two brunettes who chorused cheerfully.

"Sorry if we're late…" Fuuka blushed and bowed apologetically. "We stopped by Paulownia Mall for a bit…"

The last member of the group simply raised a hand lazily in greeting, stepping over the twitching capped boy and signing in.

"Welcome home, everyone," the blonde intoned, standing up and walking over to them, as the albino Shiba-Inu trotted by her heels, immediately heading over to the red-eyed girl and staring up at her imploringly.

Minako laughed softly and crouched to scratch him behind his ears. "We're home, Koro-chan. How was your day?"

The dog barked happily, wagging his tail gently and bumping his head against her hand.

Meanwhile, Aigis took note of the exaggeratedly sulking boy before musing, "You seem to be doing better, Junpei-san."

Immediately perking up, said male rubbed his nose. "Hehe, you can tell?" he puffed out his chest and boasted, "Come walls of stone and white monsters, I've finally conquered–"

His words cut off with a yelp when an elbow jabbed into his ribs.

"It's because today's the last day of summer classes," Yukari piped up, ignoring his complaint that she'd screwed over his dramatic entrance, "Anyway, we picked up some grocery along the way," she lifted a hand to show off the bags, "It should last us the week…"

Her voice trailed off as brown eyes trailed over to the blue-haired boy and the red-eyed girl before she amended, "Maybe."

"Mou~," Minako pouted up at the archer, hugging Koromaru close as he snuggled into her chest, "That's mean, Yuka-chan! We don't eat _that_ much," she paused and looked to her fellow Wild Card, "Do we?"

Unamused silver eyes dragged away from staring at the dog to blink at his other half as Minato tilted his head in thought before shrugging. "Who knows?"

Just then, the clicking of high heels caught their attention as they turned to see Mitsuru walk down the stairs.

"Oh? You've all returned." She smiled at them. "How were your summer classes?"

"Yo, Senpai!" Junpei greeted before anyone else could, "And it was truly a helpful experience!"

"Is that so?" The redhead looked delighted and was oblivious to the looks traded between the others. "I'm happy to have been of some assistance then."

As Junpei attempted to charm the senior, Yukari leaned towards the Wild Card, mumbling, "He's totally saying that to avoid taking _more_ classes."

They nodded in agreement as Koromaru barked.

"You know, Senpai, since we were being crushed–I mean–since we were working _so hard_," the capped boy said as he clasped his hands together, "I think we should be able to choose how to go about the rest of our…?"

The smile on her lips clearly showed her amusement before Mitsuru chuckled softly, "Yes, of course. By all means, do have fun."

"YAHOO!" Junpei cheered, throwing his arms up, "My summer's finally arrived!"

Shaking her head gently, Mitsuru turned to the others and spoke sternly, "I will be going out tonight and Akihiko isn't here either so rest up and do not go to Tartarus tonight."

"Yes, ma'am!" Minako saluted as Minato nodded. "We understand, Senpai."

"Please take care," Aigis spoke as she held open the door, waving to the Kirijo when she stepped outside, "We shall await your return then."

After sending the Ice Queen off in her limousine, the lock clicked into place before Junpei turned to everyone and rubbed his hands together, asking eagerly, "So what do you guys say about going to the beach next week?"

Red eyes blinked in bemusement as Minako wondered, "Why the beach?"

"Because it's summer, duh!" the capped boy responded, pumping a fist excitedly, "We _need_ to go to the beach! Just imagine," he waved his hands around, "The blue sky! The white clouds! The overwhelming waves!"

"Uh huh…" Yukari placed her fists on her hips and deadpanned. "Didn't you say that for Yakushima too?"

"And that's why!" Junpei wasn't relenting. "Wasn't it fun there? We need a continuation! A continuation, I say–"

"Pass," came her immediate reply before Fuuka murmured, "I would like to pass too. I remember getting all hot and then all cold…"

"C-Continue…"

His voice trailed off feebly and Minako raised a hand, chirping,

"Game set!"

"M-Mina-tan!?" Junpei sputtered indignantly before glaring grumpily at Minato when he snickered softly.

"Besides," Yukari said as she dropped her bag and plopped onto the couch, "Going to the beach requires lots of packing and preparation," she sighed exaggeratedly, "Guys have it so much easier in comparison that I'm a bit jealous…"

"Ohoho~?" The capped boy jumped out of his slump and onto the presented opportunity, leaning against the backrest and asking slyly, "So how do you girls prepare? Care to tell ol' Junpei in detail?"

"Pervert!"

She uppercutted him in the chin and he fell backwards with a thump.

"So cruel~," he sniffled before latching onto Minako's legs when she walked by, "Bestie, comfort m–"

He was abruptly cut off when a pressure fell over him, full of deathly intent, and Junpei immediately backed away, laughing nervously, "So where should we go then? The mountains? The amusement park? Anywhere seems fine, right!? Ahaha…haha…ha…"

A sigh full of relief left his lips and the capped boy slumped over when the silver-eyed glare finally left his form.

_Gah! He just can't take a joke, can he?_ Junpei shivered in the aftermath. _Scary obsessive love is scary, but I wonder… _

He peeked out from under his cap before sweating. _And, _of course_, she's oblivious to it all._

Another sigh left his lips as the capped boy rubbed the back of his neck nervously. _Geez, Mina-tan, keep your "boyfriend" reined in, won't ya?_

Said brunette tilted her head in confusion upon seeing his exasperated expression and Junpei sighed yet again. _Maybe I should feel sorry for the guy…?_

He chanced a glance at the blue-haired boy who was making eyes (not really) towards the red-eyed girl before nodding to himself. _Y~Yup, poor sap…_

"Come to think of it," Yukari spoke up, snapping him out of his thoughts, "Why do we have to ruin our precious vacation by spending it with _Junpei_ of all people?"

"Harsh!" The capped boy looked stunned, clutching at his chest dramatically. "Oh my poor heart can't take this abuse any longer…"

Hearing him sniffle, Fuuka stuttered, "A-Ah, but–! I'd also like to go out with everyone…!"

Dark eyes turned to her, sparkling brightly. "Fuu-chi~ You're my savior!"

The aqua-haired girl blushed deeply with embarrassment and Minako giggled before snapping her fingers in remembrance.

"Ah, that's right!" Her words caught everyone's attention. "How about we go to the festival?"

"The festival…?" A lightbulb went off as Yukari bopped a fist over her palm. "Oh! I know what you're talking about! The one at Naganaki Shrine, right?"

Minako nodded excitedly, looking very much like a puppy, before she pouted up at Minato when he ruffled her hair.

"That's a great idea!" The archer grinned and clapped her hands together. "When is it exactly?"

Snapping back to attention, she thought for a second. "I think it's supposed to be tomorrow…" Red eyes glanced over to silver ones and Minato nodded in affirmation, making her chirp, "Yup! It's tomorrow!"

"As expected of our leader~," Yukari cheered, not seeing their little exchange, "You did your research, didn't you?"

Before the brunette could respond otherwise, the mechanical maiden spoke up, "I would like to accompany you all as well."

"Aigis-chan!" Fuuka smiled happily before faltering. "Oh, but, you're not allowed to leave the dorms, right?"

But the blonde wasn't deterred. "I believe that if I receive permission from the Chairman and Mitsuru-san, then exit will be permitted."

"I see…" The soft-spoken girl thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay then, I'll ask Senpai too!" She then turned to the capped boy. "What about you, Junpei-kun?"

"Obviously, I'll come too!" he responded immediately before abruptly sobering, "Is what I'd like to say but…"

"Eh?! You're not coming?!" Yukari looked exceptionally shocked. "_You_ of all people?!"

"Wha–What's with the way you're saying it?!" Junpei looked insulted before scratching his cheek thoughtfully. "…Well, you might see me over there though."

Curious, Fuuka asked, "Do you already have a date?"

A cheeky grin made its way to his lips as Junpei chuckled, "Nah, but I'll get one now~!"

Yukari snorted rather unattractively, "I bet he thinks some girl's just gonna ask him out."

"Hey!" The capped boy was pouting. "It's still possible, right?!"

"Nope~," Minako chirped, popping the syllable, "Methinks it's not."

"Ouch!" Junpei wilted in response. "Oh, my pride…"

"Ignoring the pitiful guy–" "I'm not pitiful!" "–if Aigis _is_ coming," Yukari mused as she tapped her chin in thought, "We'll need clothes for her, right?"

"Um… How about that blue dress from the Yakushima trip?" Fuuka suggested before Aigis shot that down with a firm, "No."

A surprisingly excited glint appeared in her blue eyes. "I have heard that summer festivals already have a specialized secret disguise."

Easily guessing what she was referring to, Minako traded amused glances with Minato as Fuuka echoed her words in confusion, "A…specialized secret disguise…?"

But the mechanical maiden didn't elaborate as she abruptly saluted–

"I will get Mitsuru-san to prepare them immediately."

–and bolted out of the dorm, running towards the direction where the limousine had left in…

.

.

.

…cue the face-palms please.

* * *

**Boring? Not so boring? Leave your thoughts on the way out!**


	5. Summer Festival: Snapshots

**Well, after much debate, I decided to finish up the Summer Festival. I narrated most of the Drama CD but I also dropped certain parts and changed some things. Hopefully, the end result will still entertain all of you awesome people out there. x)**

**Also, many thanks to our Guests _?_ and _Eirlys_ for reviewing! I really appreciate the feedbacks. C:**

******On a side note, this was over 15,000 words! *stoned* No wonder I feel dead now...**

* * *

_**Fragments of Our Life**_

**Summer Festival: Snapshots**

* * *

**Sunday, August 16, 2009**

* * *

_**Operation Start! ...Maybe?**_

* * *

"So this is a summer festival," Aigis said as she looked around, hard drive whirling and taking everything in, "There are approximately 480 times more people than usual."

"That's because people normally don't come here," Fuuka explained, taking in the scenery with bright eyes, "Naganaki Shrine's always been quiet but, with all the stalls and decorations, it really feels different now, ne?"

"It's festive 'cause it's a festival~!" Minako cheered, twirling around with a happy grin, "Fes-ti-val~ Fes-ti-val~ YATTA~!"

"Aa~ Leader can be such a kid," Yukari giggled with no little amusement before Fuuka suddenly yelped,

"Ah, wait, Aigis–"

Bam!

A plethora of colorful plastic pieces rained from the sky.

"…My apologies. It would appear that they are not hidden cameras," the mechanical maiden intoned with a hint of disappointment as she lowered her arms, "Forgive me. I may have compromised our position..."

"Well, at least no one's hurt, right?" Minako laughed, patting the blonde on the arm. "Not to mention it was pretty cool how you shot the balloons from so far away!"

"'Cool'…?" Aigis repeated with confusion, "Do you mean to say that my technique lacks heat? Because the exact temperature generated with each round fired is–"

"Ooooookay! That's enough!" Yukari quickly cut in upon seeing more and more people pass by them before she smacked her fellow brunette over the head, "And Minako! Don't encourage her like that!"

"B-But–!" The red-eyed girl pouted. "It _was_ cool, Yuka-tan~!"

That simply earned her another scolding.

* * *

_**No Leader is Perfect**_

* * *

"Minako-chan's been hanging around Junpei-kun a lot, hasn't she?" Fuuka tittered.

"Given school hours and dorm life," Aigis inputted (not so) helpfully, "They spend approximately 34% of the day together."

"Ugh! Don't remind me!" groaned the archer with a face-palm before she shook her head and wondered, "Where did our innocent Leader go…?"

"To the yakitori stall, I reckon," came a familiar chuckle.

"Mitsuru-senpai," Fuuka greeted happily, "Thank goodness you were able to come!"

"Yes, that is, the meeting ended earlier than expected," the redhead explained with an amused huff, "Aigis' abrupt appearance and proclamation yesterday may have had something to do with it."

"So she really _did_ crash the meeting," Yukari mumbled under her breath before remembering, "Hey, wait, did you say yakitori stall…?"

A small grin appeared on Mitsuru's lips as she gestured down the pathway.

Curious, the younger girls and one mechanical maiden turned before–

"Thank you, ma'am~!"

–sweating (or blinking in Aigis' case) at the sight of Minako holding three yakitori sticks, two grilled squids, one box of takoyaki and paying for a bag of cotton candy.

"…It's a good thing Shadows never come with snacks, huh," Yukari sighed exaggeratedly, "Otherwise, Leader would _never_ fight them…!"

And then they'd totally be stuck in Tartarus.

"Let it never be known her weakness is food…"

* * *

_**Must To-ler-ate!**_

* * *

"Be careful! It's–"

Chomp. Chew. Swallow.

"–hot…" Minako sweated at the blonde's impassive face before sighing and poking the other's cheek. "So? How was it?"

Crystalline eyes blinked as Fuuka handed her a napkin before Aigis thanked her and dabbed at her lips, answering, "Thirty-six point one degrees Celsius… What a dangerous thing for humans to eat. Does it not scald your tongue, Minako-san?"

Said brunette laughed softly. "There's a reason why I haven't bitten into it yet, Ai-chan."

"Waiting for the takoyaki to cool first." The mechanical maiden nodded. "I comprehend."

Off to the side, Yukari shook her head and sighed before leaning over to the quiet redhead and asking in a low tone, "Hey, is it _really_ okay for Aigis to have come with us?"

Mitsuru glanced over at her before closing her eyes and chuckling, "It can't be helped. She wanted to come," her arms folded in front of her, "When I consulted with the Chairman, he said it was a great opportunity to observe her emotional drive so permission was given."

That only made the archer groan with exasperation. "Ikutsuki-san's totally having fun with this, isn't he?"

"Please do not fret, Yukari-san," Aigis spoke up, suddenly appearing beside her and making her jump, "With the festival's specialized disguise, my camouflage is perfect."

"Geez, you almost gave me a heart attack," sighed the brunette, hand over her heart, before she blinked, "Hey, wait, so you were talking about the yukata before?"

The mechanical maiden nodded and motioned to her violet daisy-printed clothes. "Like this, none shall know of my true appearance."

"Blending in like ninjas~," Minako sang and turned before smiling sheepishly, "Although I didn't have one on hand…"

"Same here," Yukari mumbled, picking at her red checkered and rose-printed outfit, "Traditional clothes just aren't my thing…"

"We all had to borrow from Mitsuru-senpai," Fuuka said softly as she looked down at her own azure sunflower-printed yukata before turning to bow to the redhead, "Senpai, thank you very much for doing this for us!"

The others followed suit, chorusing their own thanks, and Mitsuru blushed, a bit flustered by their gratitude, before she coughed, "Yes, well, it was Aigis who said we should all disguise ourselves. She wouldn't listen otherwise."

Minako giggled, easily imagining how unrelenting the blonde could be, before she gently bumped her shoulder against Mitsuru's, chirping, "We really are grateful to you though, Senpai!"

Her cheeks darkened as the redhead averted her eyes, fiddling discreetly with the sleeves of her own white snapdragon-printed yukata, but the soft smile on her lips was filled with obvious joy.

"So, Aigis-chan," Fuuka spoke up as she looked over at the blonde, "How does it feel to wear one?"

"…The sash that wraps around me is quite tight," the mechanical maiden reported, hand over her torso, "To actually wear it properly, a ground-breaking training was required."

Minako couldn't help but laugh at that before cheering, "In any case, it looks really summer-y on you!"

A question mark was almost visible above her head as Aigis looked confused and repeated, "'Summer-y'?"

"Yup~!" The red-eyed girl smiled. "By that, I mean it looks really nice!"

Comprehension dawned before the mechanical maiden raised a hand and declared, "Well then, everyone looks 'summer-y' with it!'

Fuuka giggled at the two as Yukari gave a small curtsy. "Thank you for the compliment!"

"Heehee~!" A kittenish smile played on Minako's lips as she twirled around again, showing off her white violet-printed yukata. "Don't you all just feel so happy like this~?"

"It is quite relaxing," Mitsuru hummed, taking in the warm atmosphere, "Recreation is every bit as important as training after all."

"…I could do without the geta though," the archer admitted as she looked down at her footwear, "It pinches a little," a pout appeared, "We've only been here for a bit but the tips of my toes already hurt!"

"I suppose Aigis-chan's lucky in that respect" Fuuka pointed out and the redhead sighed, "I'm afraid I wasn't able to prepare any for her given the short notice."

"It is a pity that I must walk geta-less," the blonde intoned, "I would have preferred to share the experience."

She then crouched down to examine the sandals. "In any case, it appears that the geta causes pain because the left and right side are separated." Her head tilted in thought. "As soon as the activity commences, you must bare with the pain until it is over. Otherwise…" She frowned.

"This summer festival…" Aigis shuddered. "What a dreadful place."

* * *

_**A Test of True Skills**_

* * *

"Hey, girls!"

They snapped to attention and turned to see a stall owner waving at them.

"Do you wanna fish for yo-yos?"

"'Fish for yo-yos'?" Aigis stepped forward and asked, "Are these 'yo-yos' types of fishes?"

Mitsuru laughed softly at that and shook her head, explaining, "No, Aigis. They're those water balloons over there," she gestured to said objects, "It's a game where you 'fish' for them."

"See there? On the water balloons?" Fuuka added in, "There's a string attached to it, right? So, you take the hook and try to scoop it out."

"I see…!" The mechanical maiden was obviously interested. "Aside from entertainment, it also trains one in timing and hand-eye coordination…!"

"Something like that." Minako grinned and clasped her hands behind her back. "Why don't we try it together?"

"Sounds good!" Yukari agreed and turned to the man, "Could we have some hooks please?"

"Sure thing, lassie," he laughed and handed the tools out, "Many thanks and good luck!"

Each of them crouched down to the pool of water before Yukari mumbled, "Ah~… I feel a bit nervous," a blush painted her cheeks as she admitted, "I've never actually done this before…"

Fuuka giggled at that and held up the hook, advising, "You see how it's actually paper, right? It's best if you not let it stay in the water for too long. Kind of like goldfish scooping!"

Brown eyes blinked at that before Yukari smiled bemusedly. "Fuuka, you seem pretty confident about this."

She giggled and pinched her pointer-finger and thumb close together. "Just a bit."

Yukari bowed her head and sighed exaggeratedly before turning to her fellow brunette. "What about you, Lead–"

"Done."

"So quick!"

Red eyes sparkled and the archer was stunned before a cheer caused her to turn and squeak,

"Fuuka got one too!?"

A splash caused Yukari to turn again just in time to see–

"Magnifique…!"

–Mitsuru holding up her own prize with a proud smile.

"It is a test of true skill," Aigis spoke with a sagely nod, holding up her own prize, and the Lovers slumped over.

_They all got one… _

Scratching his head, the stall owner laughed, "Wow! You girls are pretty good at this," he then turned to the nervous brunette, "Why don't you give it a go too?"

_Uh… _

Eyes turned on her and Yukari sweated, suddenly feeling pressured, before she shook her head to rid herself of her anxiety and smacked her cheeks to focus.

_I can do this…!_

Raising a hand, she narrowed her eyes in concentration and–

Swoosh!

–her hand darted forward as the hook glided across the water and snagged the string before–

Splash!

.

.

.

"You have failed," Aigis pointed out.

Yukari bowed over in depression, causing Minako to pat her back sympathetically. "There, there…"

"And you were so close too," Fuuka bemoaned.

"Perhaps you should try again?" Mitsuru suggested, "It was your first time after all…"

The gloomy aura surrounding the archer made them all sweat.

"…Here." The man leaned over the counter and plucked the yo-yo that Yukari had aimed for, handing it to her. "You can have it!"

"E-Eh?!" Fuuka looked a bit hesitant. "Is that really okay with you?"

But he simply laughed, "Just think of it as a bonus!"

Blinking in surprise, Yukari blushed and took the gift before bowing lowly and squeaking, "Thank you very much, mister!"

The stall owner rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling, "This old man's weak against cute girls…"

Feeling touched, everyone bowed simultaneously, chorusing,

"Thank you very much!"

But he simply waved them off cheerfully. "No need to thank me. Just come by another time!"

After giving their gratitudes once more, the girls left with bright smiles gracing their lips.

"What a nice guy," Minako sighed, tossing up and catching her yo-yo, as Fuuka nodded happily, chirping, "Isn't it great that we got a bonus?"

"Shopkeeper-san said that 'cute girls' were his weakness," Aigis pointed out, "Given the situation, the reason why this operation had succeeded was because you were all a 'hit'."

"E-Eh?!" Fuuka squeaked with a blush, "T-That's not– That is–," she struggled for a moment before sighing, "For girls to be given a bonus is a custom of sorts or…" she trailed off and flustered, "A-Anyway, it's something like that!"

The blonde tilted her head and thought on that for a moment before deciding, "In that case, I believe that being a female is a valuable trump card."

Expression abruptly cooling, Mitsuru turned away and murmured, "That isn't always the case though."

"But," Yukari argued, "If we were guys, then it might not have turned out this way," she bit her lower lip, "In reality, being a female is an advantage, but," frustration flickered across her face, "Well, it's a little complicated."

Red eyes glanced between the redhead and her fellow brunette with a hint of worry before turning to Aigis.

Catching onto the silent request, the mechanical maiden held up the water balloon and asked, "By the way, how do you use this 'yo-yo'?"

"Oh, um, well…" Fuuka fiddled with her own prize. "You just slip your finger through the string and…"

"…I see." Aigis nodded and mimicked the aqua-haired girl. "You hit it gently with the palm of your hand and–"

BAM!

There was a beat of silence–

"I seem to have broken it."

–before Yukari snorted and covered her lips, snickering, as Mitsuru laughed softly with a shake of her head.

"Even though it was a gift," the mechanical maiden mourned though her eyes glittered with something akin to relief, "I apologize."

"Aw~ It's okay!" Minako chirped with a thankful smile before wrapping an arm around the other's and looking her over, "More importantly, did you get wet?"

"Negative." Aigis shook her head. "Zero damage has been done to my specialized disguise."

Just then, a familiar voice called out to them,

"Yo! Looks like everyone's gathered here!"

* * *

_**Girls Meet Boys**_

* * *

"Junpei-kun!" Fuuka gasped in pleasant surprise as Minako turned to greet him cheerfully, "Hi-ho, Jun-chan!"

"So someone DID take you on a date?!" Yukari looked struck with amazement and Junpei gave her an unamused look before jerking a thumb over his shoulder and grumping, "Yeah. _He_ did."

"Hi~!" The brunet grinned widely as he walked up to them. "I'm everyone's idol, Kenji Tomochika-kun~!"

"Kenji dragged us out," Junpei explained with a sigh, "And here I wanted an actual date…"

"Us…?" Fuuka echoed before Mitsuru greeted, "It is good to see you out and about tonight, Arisato."

Silver eyes blinked blearily and the blue-haired boy nodded slowly before yawning and–

"Wha–Hey!"

–leaning on Minako, dozing off.

"Haha~ Well, at least he's not petting you, ne, 'Pochibi'?" Yukari snickered, nudging her fellow brunette slyly, "Instead, it looks like you just got upgraded to being a pillow!"

"Yu-ka-ri~!" Minako whined, trying not to blush but failing when she felt Minato nuzzle her shoulder, "Stop picking on me~!"

But the other was lost in laughter.

"Ah~ Young love~…" Kenji chuckled while nodding in a sagely manner.

"Well?" Junpei teased, squishing Minako's cheek against her fellow Wild Card's, "Aren't you gonna wake Sleeping Beauty over there with a kiss?"

She sputtered incoherently, not noticing Minato's own blush, before the relentless boys yelped when they were pushed over.

"Alright, dumbos, cut it out!"

"Y-Yuko-chan?" Minako stuttered in surprise before perking up, "And Rio-chan too! It's great to see you both here!"

She made a movement to hug the two in greeting but–"Gah!"–couldn't when Minato's grip tightened and she would've tripped had she not been caught by Rio.

"Looks like you're in quite a bind," the light-skinned athlete laughed softly before leaning in and whispering conspiratorially, "Is he your boyfriend?"

Heat exploded on her face as Minako stuttered, "T-That's not–We're not–I just–!"

"Oho? How very suspicious~," Yuko almost sang with a sly smile, "Blushing? Stuttering? Compromising position? Check, check and double-check~! People, I think we've got ourselves a lovey-dovey couple here~!"

"You guuuuuuys~…" the Wild Card whined, covering her face in pure embarrassment, "Stop being so mean to meeeeee~…!"

She could've sworn she heard Minato chuckle but the boy seemed as sleepy as ever.

"Everyone's getting along so well~," Fuuka giggled happily as Yukari snickered slyly, "I think this is the first time Minako's gotten so flustered!"

Her pout only caused the archer to laugh out loud.

"Oh!" Yuko looked surprised, as if just noticing the others, before smiling. "I didn't introduce myself yet, did I? Good evening!" She bowed briefly. "I'm Yuko Nishiwaki."

"Yuko… Oh!" Fuuka clapped her hands together in remembrance. "You're the manager of the boys' sports team, right?"

"Mm, that's right!" The dark-skinned girl nodded before jabbing a finger at Minato. "I help train Sleepy over there." She then patted her friend on the shoulder. "And this is Rio Iwasaki."

"We're in the same club!" Minako chirped upon seeing a few puzzled looks and Rio bowed, stuttering, "G-Good evening, everyone."

Kenji cast her a confused look. "Rio, are you actually nervous?"

An arm wrapped around his neck, jerking him down a bit, as she hissed, "You idiot! That's the Student Council President right there…!"

"There are some pretty incredible people here, huh…" Yuko was beginning to look a bit nervous before relaxing when Minako smiled at her and explained, "We all live in the same dorm."

"How nice~!" Kenji sighed after ducking out of the chokehold, "I wanna live in that dorm too," he then turned to stare blankly at his friends, "I'm so jealous of you two that I might explode."

Minato simply snuggled against Minako, making her sigh in exasperation this time, as Junpei smirked cheekily.

"Sorry, dude," snickered the capped boy, "Awesome people only."

"I _am_ awesome," the brunet protested, "I just can't believe _you're_ living there!"

"Ditto that." Yukari nodded firmly.

"So cruel!"

* * *

_**When the Going Gets Tough, You Better Get Going!**_

* * *

"…We'll be looking around over there," Mitsuru suddenly spoke up, gesturing in a direction, "Shall we go, Aigis?

"Yes!" came her immediate answer and the redhead tilted her head to the others, "Well then, please excuse us."

"See ya later~!" Minako cheerfully waved them off as the two walked away, speaking of masks and special disguises…

"…I wonder if we annoyed her since we're younger," Yukari murmured nervously.

Red eyes blinked as the brunette tilted her head in thought before inputting, "I think it was because of Ai-chan."

Kenji perked up at the unfamiliar name and asked, "Was she that blonde-haired girl? She lives at the dorm too?"

"Well… Yeah." Junpei answered and readjusted his cap.

The brunet whistled. "Wow! Isn't she, like, totally cute?!"

"Only her looks," the tall male sighed before turning to grin at the girls, "Anyway, I can't believe that everyone's wearing a yukata! It's like a dream come true~!"

"Isn't it?" Minako cheered, lifting her arms to show off the sleeves and almost hitting Minato in the face had he not shifted his position. Fuuka blushed shyly and ducked behind Yukari who rolled her eyes at them.

"Yes, it is~! It even feels a little different than usual," Kenji immediately agreed before deadpanning at Rio and Yuko, "You guys should've worn one too, y'know?"

"…Shut up," the black-haired girl mumbled. Yuko huffed, "We would've if you two doofuses weren't here."

"What do you mean by that?!" Junpei looked affronted. "And why isn't _he_ included?!"

Minako blinked up at the blue-haired boy who tilted his head back, shrugged and smirked, causing several girlish hearts to flutter.

"E-Exactly as it means," the manager managed to answer before quickly turning to the aspiring athlete, "Anyway, Rio, you can tie the sash yourself, right? You should've worn one!"

She looked startled before shaking her head, denying, "N-No… It wouldn't suit me."

"That's true." Kenji nodded in agreement. "Rio just isn't yukata-material, y'know?"

"T-That's not true!" Fuuka looked indignant on the other's behalf. "Iwasaki-san has such nice black hair. And her skin is white. I think she'd look nice in one!"

"R-Really?" Rio stuttered with bright eyes before she was shot down when Kenji waved a hand, drawling, "But we're talking about _Rio_, y'know? It's just _wrong_, ain't it?"

Minako twitched.

"…'wrong'…?" she repeated softly and Minato shivered, loosening his grip around her. _Uh oh…_

"That's a bit…mean." Fuuka frowned disapprovingly.

"H-Huh?" Kenji stuttered, clearly confused, "What do you mean?"

"You–!" Patience snapping, Yukari stomped up to the boy and poked him in the chest roughly. "Just who do you think you are, huh?!"

Seeing the situation turn bad, Junpei jumped in with a nervous laugh. "H-Hey, Yuka-tan, calm down, will ya? It's just that this guy's into older women and, if we go by that, Rio-chin's just 'wrong' for him, y'know?"

_Wrong move, Junpei,_ thought the blue-haired boy with a wince as he stepped away from his bristling other half, _I just hope–_

"Yeah, that's it!" the brunet piped up, "Rio's childish so, when she wears a yukata or anything girly, I just don't wanna see it!"

Minato face-palmed. _Damn it, Kenji…!_

"It's a bit like 'gap moe', right?" the capped boy added and waved a hand around, explaining, "A girl who's usually cheerful will become melancholic during those summer nights…"

_And he just poured oil on fire…_ The Wild Card grimaced, taking a few more steps away from Minako as he felt a familiar presence stir from within. _Oh boy…_

"I understand how you feel," Kenji sighed, completely swept away by their talk, "If it's not an adult, I just lose interest."

He frowned (not so) thoughtfully. "Besides, when girls wear something different than usual, they tend to act weirder…"

Junpei froze as a distinct wave of deathly aura washed over him.

"And a yukata looks more erotic if it's loose, y'know?" Kenji continued, nodding to himself, "When I see it all tied up, I just wanna scream, 'Don't come here!' And–"

"Stop, Kenji! Stop!" the capped boy hissed before squeaking, "Uh oh…"

It was then that the brunet finally realized the tension crackling in the air.

"It seems you're having an interesting conversation." Minako smiled though her usually warm eyes were colder than the arctic ice.

"We're soooo sorry that we act weirder than usual," Yukari drawled, cracking her knuckles threateningly.

"Y-You see what you just did…?!" Junpei whimpered, cowering away when a vague silhouette of Death appeared over their leader before jerking at the sight of a certain blue-haired boy sneaking away.

_OI!_ The capped boy screamed in his mind. _Don't leave us behind!_

As if hearing him, Minato paused in mid-step and turned stiffly before abruptly straightening up and saluting.

_…I see nothing._

He vanished like a ninja and all Junpei could do was cry.

_Whatever happened to 'bros before hoes'?!_

Exceptions being non-hoes.

* * *

_**Should've Done It**_

* * *

Some time later…

"Geez!" Yuko scowled darkly, stomping her feet. "He's such a _brat_."

"Seriously," Yukari agreed, crossing her arms, "Absolutely _zero_ tact!"

A heavy sigh left her lips before the archer turned to her fellow brunette with a puzzled look on her face. "By the way, Leader, you're pretty quiet over there…"

Minako didn't say anything for a moment, clenching and unclenching her hands, before she stepped forward with a raised fist and growled, "I'm still not satisfied…!"

"Wait, Minako-chan!" Fuuka yelped, quickly grabbing her. "Don't do it! Violence isn't always the answer…!"

"T-That's right, Minako! It's really fine," Rio was quick to reassure the Wild Card, feeling warm that the other cared so much. "I really don't mind."

"It's fine if you do, though, y'know?" Yuko pointed out with a frown, "You spoil Kenji way too much so he'll reflect on everything if you leave him."

The athlete shifted uncomfortably and mumbled, "But, it's not like I want to leave him…"

"Seriously…?" Yukari huffed, "You're way too nice in my opinion," a pause, "Wait… Could it be…?"

She eyed the other carefully and a lightbulb flickered on. "Iwasaki, do you…_like_ him…?"

Rio blinked, surprised, before blushing and looking away, stuttering, "Uh, well, I," she shrank in on herself, "…yeah…"

"…eh…?"

A beat of silence before her answer was processed.

"EEEEEEEEEHHH?!"

"You see?" Minako grumped, crossing her arms and glaring in the direction the boys had run off in, _Tch, if only I had my naginata…_

"But he's a good person!" Rio protested.

That simply made the brunette's expression sour even more as red eyes narrowed. "Not if he almost made you cry, Ri-chan."

"Then…" Fuuka frowned. "He really was being mean earlier…"

Feeling sympathetic, Yukari patted the black-haired girl on the shoulder. "Forget it. He's just an idiot so stick with us, okay?"

The athlete was torn between wanting to hug them for their support and wanting to defend the boy whom she liked so much.

"Just ditch him," Yuko said, instinctively knowing what Rio was thinking, "'Sisters before misters,' remember?"

The athlete still seemed indecisive.

A sigh left Yukari's lips and she leaned over to Minako, whispering, "I can see why you were so angry before."

She grimaced. "…It showed?"

"Yup." The archer nodded before grinning. "A little longer and I think you would've summoned Thanatos for real."

The smirk that appeared on her lips told of how much fun that could've been.

* * *

_**Who's the Best?**_

* * *

"…Oh!"

Everyone turned to Fuuka as she looked around in confusion.

"Where did Minato-kun go?"

Brown eyes blinked before the archer mimicked the aqua-haired girl's action and mused, "Come to think of it, he disappeared before we taught those doofuses a lesson, right?"

"Smart choice," Minako commented and heaved a sigh, "A~ah! I still want to hunt 'em down!"

Before anyone could respond, a familiar voice asked,

"Is something the matter?"

"Mitsuru-senpai, Aigis-chan!" Fuuka smiled brightly before hesitating. "Um, that is…"

The mechanical maiden tilted her head before pointing out, "You all seem to be quite angry."

The juniors glanced at one another and made a face in remembrance.

"Hm?" The redhead was clearly confused and looked around. "Where are Arisato, Iori and the other one? Have they gone home already?"

"Don't care," Minako huffed, turning away and crossing her arms.

Seeing the brunette's uncharacteristic anger, Mitsuru frowned with a hint of worry. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

They stayed silent before Yukari sighed and stepped up to the plate.

"Minato-kun slipped away a while ago," the archer explained, "But it was really Junpei and his _stupid_ friend who pissed us off," she scowled, "They said some things to annoy us so we drove them away," a sniff, "Honestly! No delicacy at all!"

Yuko nodded in agreement. "They're even more childish than children!"

"But everyone seems childish to you, Yuko," Rio sighed, "Especially Miyamoto-kun."

That seemed to really steam the manager. "It's like Kazushi never grew up!" She stamped her foot irritably. "Participating on that ankle of his and Minato-kun never stopped him despite–" Her words degenerated into a bunch of angry sounds.

"Someone save us from the immaturity of teenage boys," Minako grumbled.

The others nodded in consensus.

"…You know," Yukari mused after a moment, "I bet, out of all the guys we know, Ken-kun's the most mature."

"Maybe." Fuuka agreed with a nod. "Junpei-kun can be really reckless sometimes too."

"Same with Minato-kun," Minako sighed somewhat melancholically, crossing her arms in front of her chest, "I know he wants to help but…" _Rushing the Guardians is _not_ the way to do it…!_

"Akihiko-san cannot beat Ken-san either," Aigis pointed out, partaking in the analysis of the male sex, "Every time he is with Ken-san, my sensors detect nervousness."

Two pairs of dark eyes blinked in surprise. "Sen…sors…?"

Mitsuru swiftly cut in with a professional smile. "She's a transfer student so her Japanese still needs work."

Fuuka quickly took over and stuttered, "S-So it seems like Akihiko-senpai isn't very good with children, ne?"

Attention successfully diverted, the girls of SEES breathed a sigh of relief as Rio wondered, "Akihiko-senpai… Isn't he the captain of the boxing team?"

"Yeah," Yukari joined in the diversion and nodded, "He even has this HUGE fan club."

"I've seen them around," Yuko deadpanned before asking out of pure curiosity, "Akihiko-senpai lives at the dorm too, right? What's he like?"

"Akihiko hasn't changed much since I'd first met him," Mitsuru chuckled with a nostalgic and slightly exasperated smile, "Even though his kouhai worry about him, he still conducts like a child."

"He always wants to do the impossible, right?" giggled Fuuka.

And a laugh left the redhead's lips. "Yes. I can't say that he's very mature either."

"Yeah," Yukari sighed almost mournfully, "He'd just get these impulses at times."

"How surprising," Yuko exclaimed, "Since he looks really mature and all," her shoulders slumped over, "Maybe there's no such thing as a mature guy…?"

A somewhat depressed air fell over them before Yukari remembered and snapped her fingers.

"Oh! What about him?" she started and turned to Minako, "You know, the guy who helped us out on Port Island?"

"The guy who…" Red eyes widened. "Oh! You mean Aragaki-san, right?"

"Right." The archer nodded before turning to the redhead. "Mitsuru-senpai, do you know who he is? It seems like he's Akihiko-senpai's friend."

"Aragaki, ka…" Mitsuru closed her eyes and smiled. "Yes, I know him. He may not be attending it now, but he's a third year."

"He did tell us that," Minako mumbled as Yukari turned to the others and explained, "He looks scary and all, but he seems like a pretty nice guy."

Intrigued, Fuuka asked, "Is he the one who helped Natsuki-chan and the others?"

"Mmhm!" The brunettes nodded in answer.

"I think I've heard of him too," Rio piped up, "When our club members got drunk, this kind of scary guy always helped them out," she hummed, "I wonder if we're talking about the same person…?"

Mitsuru looked shocked before sobering and whispering to herself, "I see… Aragaki had…"

"–and then he'd scold them by saying, 'Don't go hanging around here this late,'" Rio continued, trying to mimic a gruff man's voice and making the others laugh.

"We got scolded too, huh?" Yukari murmured to Minako, who nodded with a sheepish smile, before Mitsuru chuckled, "He often scolded Akihiko as well."

"Akihiko-senpai too?" Fuuka asked, trying to imagine it.

It was then that red eyes sparkled mischievously and the Wild Card teased, "Ah, but Mitsuru-senpai also scolds him, right~?"

The redhead blushed and stuttered, "T-That's not– I didn't–"

"You do! You do!" the brunettes cheered in tandem, "Yes, you do~!"

An Execution would've been in order but…

"Senpai has such a cute side to her coolness!"

…certain casualties were unnecessary.

* * *

_**Man, Boy and Beast**_

* * *

"Achoo!"

"Oh! Is the AC too cold for you?" Ken asked, looking up from the TV and over at his idol, "Should I go turn it down?"

"No, I don't think that's–" Akihiko cut off with another sneeze. "What the…?"

"Maybe someone's talking about you?" the boy suggested before–"A'chu…!"–he also sneezed, "Uh…"

Confused, the boxer scratched his head and mused, "Is it Koromaru's fur…?"

Said dog whined pitifully, making Akihiko laugh and apologize before remembering.

"Oh yeah!" He pounded a fist into his palm. "I'm supposed to walk Koromaru tonight." He glanced over at the clock: it was ten before seven. "Guess I should go before it gets too late or something."

Standing up, the boxer stretched and mused aloud, "Which course should I take…? Naganaki Shrine's hosting a festival so it'll be crowded but…"

Gray eyes trailed to the Shiba-Inu who panted and tilted his head in question.

"Um, well, Yukari-san and the others were talking about yukata earlier," Ken piped up, "I think they've gone there so you could meet up with them…?"

"Yeah, they did," Akihiko sighed, scratching his head, "Even made Aigis wear one and left giggling," he frowned and looked at the sign-out sheet, "Looks like Junpei and Minato left too…"

Realizing that the youngest would be left alone, he turned and asked, "You don't want to go, Ken?"

"Huh? Ah… No…" The brunet shook his head. "I'm not really interested in those things."

"…Oh."

There was a pause before Ken asked, "And you, Sanada-san?"

"I hate it when there's a lot of people," the boxer admitted and the boy perked up, nodding in agreement, "Me too."

Another moment of silence passed before Akihiko questioned, "You haven't had supper yet, right? Want me to buy something for you?"

Flustered, Ken looked away and stuttered, "I-It's fine! I'd feel bad if I make you go in my stead…"

"It's fine." The boxer waved off his hesitation. "I'm buying something too so it's along the way."

"Well, t-then…" He thought for a moment. "Oh, um, what are you getting, Sanada-san? A beef bowl?"

"Hm? Well…" Akihiko crossed his arms and leaned against the receptionist desk. "Let's see… I guess I'll get either that or a hamburger from Wucky's. There's also takoyako from Octopia."

"Takoyaki," Ken mumbled, almost salivating, "It tastes good when it's sauce-flavored."

"Yeah." The boxer nodded with a grin. "But, when you think of festivals, you think of…"

"Okonomiyaki," cheered the boy before he coughed and stuttered, "O-Or yakisoba."

"Okonomiyaki, huh," Akihiko hummed thoughtfully, "Haven't had that in a while."

"Same here," Ken agreed with a nod before–

_…goro~goro…_

–both males blushed in embarrassment and clutched their stomachs.

"Ugh," Akihiko groaned a bit before straightening up and stating, "Well, if you want okonomiyaki, then we should buy some at the shrine."

"Eh?" The boy looked startled. "B-But, it's not like I really want some…" His expression stated otherwise. "I was just t-thinking of having some if you had some too."

"Oh, uh, well," the boxer stumbled over his words and ruffled his hair, "I was going to have some if you were going to too…"

"And I was also going to if you did too," Ken returned.

They were at a standstill, each staring the other down, before–

"Rrruff!"

_…!_

–they jumped and nearly tripped over themselves but managed to stay on their toes, turning to the dog.

Sitting beside the door, Koromaru grinned wolfishly at them, tail wagging rapidly, before he cocked his head to the side and seemed to raise a brow as if to say, _Well? What are we waiting for? Food's waiting for us so let's go already!_

.

.

.

Cough. "Shall we then?"

"…Yes!"

* * *

_**Resistance Is (Not) Futile**_

* * *

"And there they go," Yukari sighed after Minako stopped waving to Rio and Yuko, "It's too bad they couldn't stay any longer."

"Yeah," the red-eyed girl agreed with a frown, "That dummy better apologize to her properly before I see him next time or else," she punched into a hand, "I'll _really_ unleash Thanatos on him…!"

"P-Please don't, Minako-chan," Fuuka stuttered worriedly, "We shouldn't abuse our power!"

Said brunette pouted at that before sighing, "Fine, fine…"

The aqua-haired girl looked relieved until Minako pumped a fist and declared, "I'll just unleash Eurydice on him then!"

"That's still not right!" squeaked Fuuka.

Yukari simply laughed, "Well, it'll definitely teach Kenji to watch his mouth next time!"

"Shall I join in on this lesson then?" Aigis piped up, "Perhaps Palladion–"

"Permission denied," Mitsuru cut the blonde off with a cool smile, "Please allow me to intervene should it get to that point."

"I comprehend," the mechanical maiden backed down with a nod.

"Senpai~!" Minako was positively beaming. "You're so cool!"

The redhead blushed and coughed. "In any case, what shall we do now?"

"Wanna go eat?" Yukari suggested before grimacing, "But, more importantly… Does someone have a bandage?"

Mitsuru blinked. "Why?"

"The string on this thing's too tight." The archer looked ready to cry as she bent down to massage her feet. "It feels like my toes are about to rip off!"

"Ah," Minako suddenly deadpanned as she also crouched, "I'm already bleeding."

"Wha–Hey! Tell us earlier!" Yukari scolded her fellow brunette before wincing, "Ow…"

"Found it!" Fuuka piped up as she pulled out a miniature first-aid kit, "Here you go!"

"As expected of Fuu-chan!" Minako cheered, eagerly holding out her hands, as Yukari nodded and chirped, "To be so prepared, you're the best~!"

"E-Eh? N-No, that's not–" The aqua-haired girl stuttered for a bit with a pleased blush. "It was just in my purse, that's all."

"Should I attain a purse as well?" Aigis asked.

Mitsuru chuckled, "We'll see about that."

.

.

.

"There!" The archer leaned back with a proud smile. "Treatment complete!"

"Are you okay now?" Fuuka asked, hovering over the brunettes.

"Yup!" Minako chirped before tilting her head thoughtfully, "My little toe still hurts though… But I'll heal soon enough!"

"That's good to hear." Mitsuru smiled before frowning. "Regardless, I do apologize for not giving you all better pairs…"

"It's okay, Senpai," Yukari reassured her, "We're just not used to wearing geta, that's all!"

"Perhaps I may be of assistance?" Aigis intoned as she held up one of the footwear, "We only need to stretch this string, correct?"

"Yup~," Minako answered and blinked before–

"Please leave this to me then!"

–stuttering a protest but–

Snap!

–it was too late.

"It seems to have broken."

Palming her forehead, Yukari sighed, "Aigis…"

"I apologize," the mechanical maiden said with a faint frown, "I had overestimated its resistance."

Unsure of whether to laugh at how silly the situation was or to mourn the loss of one of her slippers, Minako settled for an ambivalent, "Aa…"

"Shall I go get you something else to wear?" Mitsuru asked, looking around for a stall that may be selling a replacement.

Minako shook her head. "Don't worry–"

"I shall take responsibility and carry you," the mechanical maiden suddenly declared, "My carrying capacity is over 300 kilograms. Since Minako-san only weighs–"

"No." Yukari denied the blonde with a chop of her hand. "It'd be too weird."

"What should we do, Senpai?" Fuuka asked, turning to the redhead.

The Empress frowned, tapping a finger against her arm in thought, before she sighed, "To be honest, I'd rather not do something that could make us stand out…"

"That is unfortunate," Aigis intoned.

_For whom?!_

* * *

_**Their Badass Savior**_

* * *

"I wonder if I can walk with only one?" Minako mused aloud as she stood up, hopping a bit.

"But that's dangerous," Fuuka exclaimed, "You might step on glass!"

The brunette froze rather comically and looked down before abruptly sitting again, making the aqua-haired girl sigh in relief as Mitsuru and Yukari chuckled at their antics.

"Are you positive that I should not carry you?" Aigis asked and was quickly shot down by the archer.

"Seriously, Aigis," Yukari mumbled, "Stop asking before you attract unwanted attention."

The mechanical maiden looked quite confused.

"In any case, can you pass me the other one, Fuuka?" Minako piped up before more questions were asked, "I think I'll be fine if I just limp with it."

"A-Are you sure?" the aqua-haired girl asked even as she handed it over, "Maybe we should call one of the boys…?"

"Nah~," the Wild Card spoke in the negative and stood up, taking a few steps and smiling brightly, "See? It's fi–AH!"

Thud!

"Is it an enemy attack?!" Aigis readied her firearms but was waved off as Minako laughed sheepishly, "No, I just fell."

"Geez," Yukari sighed, slumping onto the bench, "You almost gave me a heart attack, Leader!"

"Sorry~," said brunette apologized with a blush.

"Oh! Your geta," Fuuka spoke up, trying to peer passed the trees, "I think it fell near the rock," she took a step forward, "I'll go get it for you!"

"Wait, Fuuka-san," the mechanical maiden interrupted, "Your foot also seems to have acquired a lot of damage. Therefore…!"

The sound of hard drive whirling intensified. "I shall be the one to retrieve it! Jet Propulsion act–"

"Cease and desist," Mitsuru ordered, "Your actions are too conspicuous, Aigis."

"Understood." The blonde saluted. "Shall I activate Stealth Mode first then?"

"I thought her yukata was already her camouflage," Yukari whispered to the other juniors before exclaiming, "Wait, she can't turn invisible, can she…?!"

"Um…" Fuuka smiled a bit helplessly. "I don't think technology's _that_ advanced yet, Yukari-chan…"

"And _I_ think you've watched way too many sci-fi movies," Minako snickered.

The archer blushed deeply and raised a fist threateningly.

"Mi-na-ko…!"

Just then, the bushes rustled and everyone jumped to their feet warily.

"What was that?!" Yukari squeaked, forgetting about her ire and ducking behind the Wild Card, "I-It's not a ghost, is it…?"

_Doubtful…_ Minako sweated before perking up when a tall, imposing but familiar figure made himself known.

"Aragaki…!" Mitsuru gasped before swiftly recomposing herself, "You seem to be well enough."

"Yo, Kirijo," the beanie-wearing male greeted, "It's rare to see you here."

_Aragaki…? _Fuuka wondered, "Could you be the rumored…?"

Gray eyes shifted over to the soft-spoken girl and a brow raised. "Rumor…?"

"I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked under his gaze, blushing deeply as she also ducked behind Minako, _Ah, I can't believe I was staring…!_

_…Am I doomed to be a meat shield?_ Minako couldn't help but wonder. _Jun-chan, Yuka-chan and now Fuu-chan too…_

She sighed even as the archer stepped out of hiding.

"Hi, Senpai," Yukari piped up with a smile, "We told her about the time you saved us on Port Island!"

"I see," Aigis intoned, fixing her crystalline eyes on him, "So you are the one who saved them."

Both brows raised before Shinjiro grunted and stared back unabashedly.

There was a certain tension in the air…

But it was ignored as Minako chirped, "Thanks again for helping us back then, Aragaki-san!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah…" The young man looked away. "No problem…"

Before an awkward silence could set in, Mitsuru spoke up, "It seems that many of our students have also been in your care, Aragaki. Allow me to express my gratitude as well," she tilted her head, "Thank you."

Tongue clicking, Shinjiro accurately guessed whom she was referring to and grumped, "I only helped them 'cause they were being loud. Tell them to find another place to loiter around."

"Understood. I will bring that up in the next meeting," the redhead chuckled, "However, this is rare. Have you also come to see the festival?"

"Nah," he denied with a shake of his head, "I was just passing by when I heard 'Hya~!' and then this thing came flying at me."

He held up a familiar geta and Minako started. "Oh! That's mine!"

"It's your fault again?" Shinjiro seemed almost amused, shaking the broken footwear as said brunette pouted. "How did this even happen? Were you trying to change the weather or something?"

"No!" Minako protested with a faint blush before toeing the floor and mumbling, "The string just…came off. That's all!"

"It came off?" He blinked and took a good look at the geta. "Yeah, you're right. How the hell did you even do this? Part of the geta came out too."

"I tried to stretch it," Aigis answered without batting an eye, "But when I pulled–"

"Aigis-chan! Shh!" Fuuka quickly hushed the blonde, earning herself a puzzled look.

"Geez…" Shinjiro sighed, not noticing or perhaps just ignoring the stilted explanation, "Guess there's no choice…"

The females of SEES blinked in surprise when the young man pulled out a cloth from one of his pockets.

"Are you sure you want to use your handkerchief?" Yukari asked, stepping closer to see what he was doing.

"It's shabby anyway," Shinjiro answered, looping the fabric into the hole of the geta before tying the ends into a knot.

"Oh?" Mitsuru raised a brow, impressed. "How skillful."

"It was originally designed this way," he explained, answering her silent question before tossing it before Minako, "Here, try it on."

"Ah, okay!" The brunette straightened up and slipped her foot into it. _It fits…!_

A small grin quirked his lips when Shinjiro saw her smile with clear delight. "It won't come off, right?"

"Yes!" Minako nodded happily, bouncing a bit, "It totally works! Thank you very much, Shinjiro-nii!"

"'S-Shinjiro-nii'…?" he stuttered, blushing almost invisibly, "Where do you get off calling me that…?!"

But his question went over her head as Minako cheerfully showed off her renewed geta to the others. "Look, look!"

Heaving a sigh, Shinjiro pulled down his beanie and grumbled incoherently under his breath, scrutinizing the red-eyed brunette and her bright smile, before his eyes softened and his lips tipped up into another small grin as he was reminded of another…

_Miki…_

A certain somberness descended over him upon remembering the past but he shook it off and grunted, "Well then, I'll be leaving if you're okay now."

He raised a hand and turned to leave when Mitsuru laughed softly.

Furrowing his brows, Shinjiro stared at her warily. "…What?"

The redhead simply closed her eyes and smiled. "It's nothing."

Sensing that he was unconvinced, Mitsuru chuckled again before tilting her head towards the younger girls. "You were worried, weren't you? Since you heard screams and the geta came flying." She nodded in the direction he came from. "So you climbed the rock on the other side…"

Shinjiro successfully fought back an embarrassed blush and scowled. "I just thought I heard some idiots, that's all."

His words were louder than he'd intended because Yukari soon jumped into the conversation, singing, "As I thought, you're actually really kind, Aragaki-senpai~!"

He turned away. "Tch, don't be stupid."

But Mitsuru's sharp eyes caught sight of the pleased look on his face and she smiled. "Thank you, Aragaki."

"Yeah!" Minako bounced up to him and grinned happily. "Thank you very much, Shinjiro-nii!"

"I-I'm not your b-brother," Shinjiro sputtered, pulling his beanie even lower, "And quit repeating yourselves already. I heard the first time…"

He started to leave when Fuuka piped up, "Oh, umm! Are you leaving without attending the festival?" Her voice held a hint of disappointment. "Even though you came all this way…?"

Shaking his head, Shinjiro waved a hand dismissively. "Festivals just ain't my style. I came to look for someone but, since people came, he probably left."

"We can help you look!" Minako suggested before wondering, "Are you looking for a person?"

"No, he's a d–" He coughed. "Anyway, it's got nothing to do with you guys." A disgruntled look appeared on his face. "Bye. You guys better return to a crowded place."

"No need to worry," Aigis intoned, stepping up to Minako's side, "I have switched to Safe Mode and our destination is nearby."

That made him look at her strangely.

"Oh, umm," Fuuka flustered, "S-She's been asked to act this way!"

A brow raised before Shinjiro shrugged and walked away with an airy, "I wasn't confused about that." _But is there really a chick so weird?_

"…We seem to be causing you trouble," Mitsuru apologized when he reached her.

He gave her a look as a thought nagged at him before he spoke, "I'm afraid to ask but… Has Aki been eating proper meals?"

A small grin appeared on her lips and the redhead nodded. "Yes. Little by little, he's been trying to eat less meat." She tilted her head. "I believe he's been eating at Octopia now."

Holding back a groan, Shinjiro sighed instead. "I was wrong to ask you."

She looked mildly puzzled but shook it off.

"Do you have any messages for Akihiko?" Mitsuru asked as he trudged back to where he came.

A grunt. "Eat vegetables."

And she laughed. "How like you to say that."

"Shut up." He scowled and ducked into the shadows without another glance back. "Bye."

There was a moment of silence before–

"See? He's a good person."

–Yukari chirped, turning to Fuuka.

"He's still a little scary though," the aqua-haired girl admitted before blushing, "But I think I'd like to know him better…"

She trailed off and squeaked when the archer nudged her slyly.

"Oo~ Is someone _interested_ in a certain bad boy~?"

"Y-Yukari-chan!" Fuuka covered her face in embarrassment. "That's not what I meant…!"

Aigis turned to Mitsuru and asked, "If Aragaki-san is a 'good person', then how can he be a 'bad boy' as well?"

"It's a figure of speech, Aigis," the redhead explained with an amused smile, "Referring to a male whose rebellious nature appears attractive. A 'bad boy', in short."

Red eyes sparkled mischievously before Minako twirled around, singing,

"Bad boy~! Bad boy~! What'cha gonna do~? What'cha gonna do when I come for you~?"

"Minako-chan!"

"Teehee~!"

* * *

_**Team Skirt Chaser Unite!**_

* * *

"So what have you been doing?" Akihiko asked, breaking the silence as they trekked along the sidewalk, "Finished all of your homework yet? If not, then–"

"I'm all done," Ken answered, keeping his eyes on the road, "I don't have any left."

"…Oh."

The boxer rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, that's good…"

There was a moment in which they could've sworn crows flew over their heads…

"S-So," the brunet started awkwardly, "Speaking of homework, Junpei-san was asking Yukari-san to show him hers but she refused."

"Understandable," Akihiko laughed dryly before–

"Rrruff ruff!"

–twitching when Koromaru suddenly barked.

"What are you…" His voice trailed off and the boxer stopped in surprise. "Well, speak of the devil…"

"Huh?" Ken stopped as well before perking up. "Oh, it's Junpei-san." He smiled. "And Minato-san as well!"

"–abandoned us, you cruel bas–"

"Hey~," the brunet called out as he waved, "Junpei-san~! Minato-san~!"

"–tard…?"

The capped boy paused and blinked, looking up in surprise, before a grin appeared on his lips.

"Yo, Ken, Senpai," Junpei greeted as he raised a hand, "Taking Koro on a walk?"

"Yeah," Akihiko answered easily before raising a brow upon seeing the headlock, "What are you two doing?"

Quickly remembering his ire, Junpei scowled and tightened his grip, rubbing his knuckles against Minato's head. "This _jerk_ totally abandoned us!"

Silver eyes rolled before the blue-haired boy twisted out of the other's chokehold and rubbed at his neck, grumbling, "It's not my fault you two idiots couldn't keep your mouths shut."

"I resent that!" Kenji protested, "Don't group me in with this guy!"

"I should be saying that to you!" Junpei huffed before jerking a thumb at and introducing their friend, "By the way, this is Kenji Tomochika. We're all in the same class."

"I see…" The boxer sized the other up before holding out a hand. "I'm Akihiko Sanada. Nice to meet you."

"Yes," Kenji all but squeaked, grimacing at the other's grip, "I know who you are."

A brow raised as Junpei tilted back his cap and wondered, "Why are you so stiff?" But before the other Magician could answer, he patted the youngest on the shoulder. "And this is lil' Ken. He's in elementary school but he's staying at the dorms for now."

Shrugging off the hand, the smaller brunet bowed. "I'm Ken Amada. Thank you for taking care of Junpei-san."

"Whoa…" Kenji was taken aback. "This kid's _way_ more mature than Junpei!"

"I don't wanna hear that from you," grumped the capped boy before a bark made him turn to their doggy companion, "You want me to introduce you too, Koro?"

Another bark confirmed his sentiment before Kenji laughed, "No worries! I know who you are!" He bent down to pet the Shiba-Inu. "You're that famous dog, right? The one who used to live at this shrine?" Koromaru's tail was wagging gently. "Put 'er there!" He placed a paw on the outstretched and received an ear-scratching. "Good boy!"

"Ruff!"

"Anyway," Junpei added and petted the dog as well when his leg was headbutted, "We're keeping him at our dorm for now."

"Oh?" Kenji looked a bit amused. "There's plenty of variety there, huh?"

"Really?" Minato drawled almost, well, actually, _wholly_ sarcastically, "I never realized…"

Before either Magician could reply to that, Ken asked, "Have either of you seen Aigis-san yet?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah." Junpei blinked nonplussed. "Yeah, we did, along with the other girls."

The youngest shifted nervously before blurting out, "So how was it?"

Minato raised a brow. "How…?"

Curiosity practically emanating from him, Ken clarified, "She's wearing a yukata, right?"

A sly smile appeared on his lips as Junpei snickered, "Hehe~ So you're into _those_ things, eh~?"

"T-That's not it!" Ken sputtered, blushing deeply, "I-I just thought that since she's not…_normal_…maybe…"

He trailed off and Junpei sobered before waving it off. "It was fine. She looked like a normal girl."

"She wasn't normal," Kenji protested before chuckling, "She was high-level~!"

"Man, _all_ the girls in our dorm are A-grade," the capped boy whooped before wincing in remembrance, "Though they're a bit spunky too…"

"Like I said," Minato deadpanned, "It's your fault."

Seeing Junpei (and Kenji) shudder, Ken wondered, "Did something happen?"

A rather depressing aura seemed to cling to the Magicians as the blue-haired boy answered, "Slip of the tongue."

"What, you got Yukari angry again?" Akihiko questioned with a raised brow before huffing with amusement, "You never learn, do you?"

"Yuka-tan's way too short-tempered," groaned the capped boy, "Couldn't she have, like, a calmer aura?"

"That's just not in her nature," Minato pointed out.

"True," Akihiko agreed to both, "She has guts."

He sighed. "It's such a waste that she's a woman though. I'd want to enlist her in the boxing club. She'd make a great member."

Face turning blue just from imagining it, Junpei shuddered and warned, "Just don't say that to her face. Otherwise, she'd probably say something like, 'Here's our chance for an All-Out Attack!'"

He shuddered yet again before mumbling, "And it wasn't just her. Even Mina-tan got angry…"

Surprise colored Akihiko's face. "Wait, really? Her?"

He paused and thought on that before asking suspiciously, "Did you take her food again?"

Minato snorted, unable to stop himself from smirking in amusement.

"I didn't do that this time!" Junpei protested, glaring at the blue-haired boy, before he huffed, "Hell, it wasn't even _my_ fault! It was _his_!"

Stepping back to avoid the finger-jab, Kenji sputtered, "Me?! But I didn't say anything to make them angry!"

He received a _look_, further increasing his confusion.

"…I'm surprised by your inability to read the atmosphere," Junpei groaned after a moment and shivered, "Even Fuu-chi scared me…"

Brows raised all around.

"Fuuka-san too?" Ken was as baffled as he could be. "I can't even imagine her getting angry though…"

"Me neither!" Junpei exclaimed, "But it happened and, man, I _never_ wanna see it again…"

"Even though you should be used to it," Minato drawled, "You pretty much get yelled at every day anyway…"

"Well, yeah, but, even if I do, it still hurts, y'know?" sighed the capped boy, "Geez, give a guy a break, won't ya…?"

"What, so you don't piss them off on purpose?" Akihiko asked, crossing his arms.

Junpei sputtered, "D-Does it really seem that way?"

The boxer shrugged. "Dunno, but it looks like you'd be happy being bitten too."

"…Darn!" Junpei snapped his fingers. "He's got me figured out!"

Kenji choked on his own shock and backed away. "Man, you've got some weird tastes!"

A face-palm.

"I was _joking_, Kenji," the capped boy sighed, "J-O-K-I-N-G! Joking! Y'know, haha, that sort of thing?"

They stared at him blankly and he groaned, "I swear, none of y'all got a sense of humor…!"

"…Well, anyway," Kenji spoke up after a moment, "I should be going now. Rio's probably waiting for me."

If_ she's still waiting for you,_ Minato thought but decided to keep quiet as the brunet continued, "So what are you two gonna do?"

Junpei looked over at his senior and junior and Akihiko answered, "We're just looking around before buying dinner."

"Then we'll go with you guys," decided the capped boy and Minato nodded in agreement.

"Alright, then," Kenji waved and began to jog off, shouting, "I'll see ya some other time then!"

"Say 'hi' to Riocchin for me!" Junpei waved back before murmuring, "I really wonder if she's waiting though," he sighed, "That guy seriously worries me sometimes."

"Wow…" Ken looked impressed. "Who know Junpei-san could worry?"

"Why you little–!"

* * *

_**The Young Still Has Much to Learn**_

* * *

Meanwhile…

"How wonderful," a certain female attendant cooed over her new find, "Take a look at this, Theo! Isn't it simply marvelous?"

Said male showed no sign of listening and simply gazed into the distance with eyes of a somber gold hue.

Confused, Elizabeth looked up at him. "Theo…?"

He released a rather forlorn breath and she frowned.

"Theodore," she called yet again and, once more, he didn't respond, only sighing for the umpteenth time that night.

Placing her hands on her hips, Elizabeth tapped her foot somewhat impatiently before a sly smile played on her lips and–

Tweet!

–Theodore jumped, blinking rapidly and stuttering, "T-This is–"

Tweet!

"What is it, Aneue?"

She took the object out of her mouth and waved it around.

"_This_ is a tool to cheer people up," Elizabeth explained graciously, "A party horn. It is also called a fizoo. Interesting, yes?"

"Um… I wasn't asking what it was…" her brother replied, eyeing the toy in a vaguely distasteful manner, but was ignored as she happily went on, "Look, Theo. If you blow into it, then the length will–"

Tweet!

"Again..!?" Theodore almost whined.

"This will be a great challenge for our Master's nose!" The pale-haired woman grinned kittenishly (and perhaps mischievously as well). "This has been a great discovery thus far…!"

She blew into the noisemaker and he flinched away.

"I understand–" Tweet! "I understand, so please–" Tweet! "Could you tell me why you keep hitting me…?!"

Exasperation was clear in his voice.

Lowering her toy, Elizabeth blinked (not so) innocently. "Why? It is because you are right there."

Theodore nearly face-faulted but managed to compose himself in time. "Are you not simply aiming for me?"

Still maintaining her facade, she tilted her head and asked, "When our Master calls for you, does he not hit you in this way?"

He ducked under yet another tweet and exclaimed, "I have never been called in this manner!"

An eighth (or perhaps ninth) tweet sounded but was cut off when Theodore caught the end of it. "Also, I do not believe that our Master's nose is this long…"

Elizabeth eyed his fingers rather predatorily and he quickly dropped it before she finally lowered her toy. "Details aside… Theo, what were you thinking of this whole time?"

Gold eyes blinked and Theodore hesitated before speaking slowly, "About that ice cone stand…" He motioned to it. "Amongst the products, there is one called 'Blue Hawaii'."

"'Blue Hawaii'…?" she repeated before smiling, "My, such an inspirational name…! One that reminds you of the blueness of the sea~!"

"About that, Aneue…" he continued with furrowed brows, "If it was made reflecting on the image of the sea… How would it taste like…? I have been thinking of that."

…

Swoosh!

Theodore barely dodged her pointer finger as Elizabeth exclaimed, "What does your heart tell you, my dear Theo?!"

"M-My heart…?" he stammered and paused, cupping his chin in thought, "Um, well, hm… It is most likely…salt-flavored. I hear that the sea has plenty of minerals within it."

Elizabeth was silent for a moment before declaring,

"Five points."

Blinking, Theodore repeated in confusion, "…Five points?"

She nodded. "Five points…out of a hundred."

So stunned was he that he gawked in a rather unrefined manner before finally catching himself and clearing his throat, asking hesitantly, "Then, do you know the correct answer, Aneue…?"

Tweet!

Elizabeth blew into her fizoo a few times before mumbling, "…salt-flavored."

"Is that not what I said?!" he exclaimed but–

"Theo! Take a look at that!"

–his exasperation was cut short when–

"Oh, a mask of Jack Frost."

–he was dragged over to a stall.

"How wonderful…!" Theodore smiled with bright eyes.

"Welcome!" the owner greeted with a smile, "What would you two like tonight?"

"I wish to purchase a mask of Jack Frost," declared Elizabeth, pointing to said object and holding out her money.

"Alrighty then!" The manager laughed and took it off of the rack, exchanging the two. "Here you go, missy!"

"I would like the same thing as w–" Tweet! "Aneue! Is it not foul to aim for the eyes?!"

Ignoring his pout, Elizabeth wagged her finger at Theodore. "'You must respect your elders.' Any place, any time, you will remain younger than I."

"I-I am not a child," he protested and a sly smile appeared on her lips.

"If you claim to be an adult man," Elizabeth practically purred, "Then take a look at this!"

"…This mask…"

Theodore eyed it warily.

"How do I interpret this…? The eyes and the nose seem to pierce you… And this is…a mouth? Is it not too far apart?"

Chuckling softly, his sister waved it around. "A 'Hyottoko' is what it is called. It's a very convenient mask."

She placed it in his hands and Theodore frowned. "Um… I do not wish to purchase this…"

"Really?" Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "Even though you looked just like this?"

"Eh?!" Shock gave way to distress. "Is… Is this so…?" His shoulders slumped ever so slightly. "So… I was making this kind of face…? I… I see…"

Ignoring the dark cloud that hung over his head, Elizabeth picked out another mask and chirped, "And this one is for females! An 'Otafuku' or an 'Okame' as they can be called."

"And you are going to buy this?" Theodore asked, still melancholic.

"Why must I buy a mask that matches yours?" She sniffed even as mischief lit up her eyes. "Give this to our eldest sister."

"T-This?! To Margaret-aneue…?!" Theodore eyed it critically. "Would she even like it…?"

"If it's a gift from her cute little brother, she would be happy with whatever you gave her," Elizabeth practically sang.

"I-If you say so…" he mumbled, taking the object gingerly and paying for it.

"And when you give it to her, say: 'I thought it looked similar to you.'" She paused before adding, "In those exact words."

"Ah… Well…" Theodore struggled with the order. "But they do not resemble each other at all…!"

"She will be happier if you say that," Elizabeth responded immediately, "And when you give it to her, do it when I'm around," she hid a gleeful smirk, "I want to see her reaction."

"Y-Yes…" A chill descended his spine as he nodded meekly. "I understand…"

"Well, then!" She clapped her hands. "I will also look for a gift."

"Yes…"

Theodore bowed his head and sighed before–

"Are…? Theo-kun? Eli-chan?"

–perking up upon hearing a familiar voice.

"My!" Elizabeth's eyes lit up at the sight. "Surely this is a fateful encounter!"

_Minako-sama…! _A smile played on his lips as he stepped towards the surprised brunette and held her hand, bringing it up to his lips. "To think that we would meet here is–"

"Move aside, Theo," Elizabeth interrupted, pushing him out of the way and holding the girl's hand, "It is a pleasure to see you again, Minako-sama," gold sparkled mischievously, "Are you not with Minato-sama on this fine night?"

Although worried for Theodore's self-esteem, Minako smiled at the female attendant and shook her head. "Minato-kun slipped away a while back when Jun-chan and…" She trailed off and heat flashed in her eyes before she gently shook her head. "Anyway, I'm actually here with the girls."

"Oh?" Elizabeth raised a brow, having seen the flicker of anger, but asked instead, "Is this what they call a girl's night out?"

"Mm! That's right," The brunette nodded before perking up as an idea popped into mind. "Oh, speaking of which, do you want to join us, Eli-chan? It'll be fun! Theo-kun can come too since he's such a gentleman~!"

Said man suddenly appeared beside her, hand over chest and head bowed with his usual smile. "Such compliments are unnecessary–"

"–for a true gentleman does not leave a lady waiting," Elizabeth interrupted as she directed Minako away, "_Especially_ not his _elder sister_ after she asked a very _important_ question."

Theodore floundered for a moment before stammering, "A-Aneue…!"

And Minako couldn't help but giggle. "You two always seem to get along!"

His lips quirked up into a smile before he sighed a bit exaggeratedly, "Alas, she is somewhat of a troublesome sister and–"

"Did you say something?" Elizabeth chirped even as her eyes bore coldly into him.

"…Putting all of that aside," Theodore coughed discreetly before smiling charmingly, "I don't see those clothes very often."

Red eyes brightened as the brunette twirled around, smiling brightly. "It's called a 'yukata'! Isn't it pretty~?"

The pale-haired male chuckled softly. "As pretty as the clothes may be, you are far more beautiful, Minako-sama."

"E-Eh?" A blush adorned her cheeks as Minako bashfully down at her feet. "T-Thank you…"

Theodore gave an award-winning smile. "Are you alone now?"

But before she could answer, a hand covered her eyes and an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against a firm chest, as a familiar voice deadpanned,

"No."

"M-Minato-kun?!" sputtered the brunette as she flailed for a moment before grabbing his hand and pulling it away to see again, "When did you arrive?!"

Silver eyes glanced down, taking in her flustered face, and narrowed just a tad when she shyly glanced over at the attendants.

"Just now," he answered with a shrug and shifted his weight, almost blanketing her smaller form, "Yukari said you were taking a while so I came to check up on you."

"I see…" Theodore said with a hint of disappointment, "Had you been alone, I would have submitted one of my requests."

"In other words," Elizabeth sighed exaggeratedly, "Theo wishes to take our dear guest on a date–"

"ANEUE!" he shouted before freezing upon realizing what he'd done.

"…Theo."

His sister smiled rather frigidly.

"Did you just raise your voice at me?"

He sweated and swallowed thickly, stammering, "A-Aneue, please, I–"

But he couldn't say anymore as she swiftly grabbed his ear and twisted it, making him yelp and bend awkwardly to match her height.

"Ah! Theo-kun!" Minako was about to interfere out of worry but squeaked instead when Minato had swiftly picked her up. "W-Wait, Minato-kun, what–!"

But her protest was cut short as Elizabeth chirped, "Well then, Minako-sama, Minato-sama, we shall await you two in the Velvet Room once more. Do come visit soon."

"Of course," replied the blue-haired boy with a curt nod, "Take care, Elizabeth, and we'll see you then."

They shared a jaunty salute before turning about and walking away even as–

"Please forgive me, Aneue, I–"

"Minato Arisato, put me down or else–"

"–was wrong to yell and–"

"–I swear I'm gonna burn your–"

"–never do so ever again–"

"–and steal your MP3, you hear–"

–their captives continued to squirm uncomfortably in their ironclad grip.

May their futures stay bright.

* * *

_**Just a Little Out of Hand...**_

* * *

"Oh!" Ken perked up upon seeing them. "Welcome…back…?"

He trailed off with a puzzled look and Minako flushed as she hid her face and moaned, "Please don't ask, Ken-kun…"

Junpei, however, simply bursted into laughter at the sight of her being carried like a bride before sidling up to them and nudging Minato's side, practically singing, "Looks like _somebody_ got lucky~!"

Minato hid a smirk when the brunette swiftly smacked the cackling boy on the arm, making him whimper, before he turned to the others and drawled, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"What were you doing?" Akihiko asked with an amused tilt to his lips, "Dragging her away from the food court?"

Minako pouted at the jab to her gluttonous nature but the blue-haired boy simply frowned.

"If only," he spoke dryly, "Rather, I was battling off one of her more persistent fan–"

A pale hand slapped over his lips as Minako hissed, "Mi-na-to…!"

He gave her an innocent look before wilting when she blistered him with a glare.

"A-Anyway–!" The brunette turned to the others, slightly embarrassed by her display. "I just got distracted by a friend, that's all!"

The sour expression on Minato's face made them trade dubious glances.

"Honest!" Minako protested to their looks. "Theo-kun's a complete gentleman so he'd never hurt me!"

"…I don't know," Yukari piped up after a moment, "I mean, if Minato-kun went out of his way to get you out of there, then there might be something to it…"

A hurt look appeared and the archer backed away with raised hands. "Just saying, Leader. You _can_ be pretty naive sometimes."

Her shoulders slumped and one could almost see drooping dog-ears on her head, causing several hearts to melt at just how _cute_ she was, before–

"Rrruff!"

–Minako yelped as she was suddenly tackled and–

"K-Koro-chan! Haha~ That tickles!"

–attacked by a rough tongue.

Pressed against the stone floor, the blue-haired boy twitched, unsure of whether to groan from the pain running up his back, to glower at the lucky dog kissing his other half or to just enjoy the way Minako was sprawled over him in a yukata.

_Bad, Minato!_ He mentally smacked himself. _No dirty thoughts in public!_

As if reading his thoughts, Junpei snickered and asked, "Say, what kind of fetish is needed to get a wife?"

Silver eyes glared at him, unamused, but that simply made his grin widen before he yelped when Yukari whacked him over the head.

"Don't worry," she retorted, "You wont ever get one."

"Harsh!" The capped boy pouted, clutching at his chest. "And you said that so casually too!"

"Aw~ Don't worry, Jun-chan," Minako cooed, bad mood gone as she hugged Koromaru to her chest, "If worse comes to worse, I'll help ya!"

"Bestie~!" Junpei would've glomped her but the cold stare from the blue-haired boy froze him in his tracks. "Ahaha, thanks for the support…"

A bark soon caught everyone's attention though and they turned to see the Shiba-Inu pawing at Minako's geta and whining.

"…It seems that he recognizes the scent," Aigis informed them before Yukari startled, "Hey! That's the part that was fixed by Senpai's handkerchief!"

The boys shared a confused glance as Fuuka crouched down and petted the dog's head, asking, "Koro-chan, do you know him?"

He barked again, tail wagging happily, and the mechanical maiden translated, "It would appear that he was often given food by that person."

"Eh?!" Fuuka covered her gasp. "Then Aragaki-senpai was looking for Koro-chan?!"

"'Aragaki'…?" Gray eyes widened. "Shinji came here?!"

"It was a coincidence," Mitsuru chuckled before the aqua-haired girl explained, "He fixed Minako-chan's geta."

Abruptly sitting up, Minato took a look at the mismatched footwear before startling when he saw bandages covering her toes. "How did this happen?"

"Huh? Uh, well…" Her voice trailed off as Minako blushed, finally realizing that she was sitting on his lap. "I-It doesn't matter!"

But that simply made him fuss over her even more as the others began laughing without abandon.

_So cute!_ Yukari and Fuuka couldn't help but squeal a bit._ He's totally mothering her!_

That was until–

"W-Wait a mo– Where are you– Eek!"

SMACK!

–his hands wandered a little _too_ much.

* * *

_**Otomen**_

* * *

"A-Anyway," Minako coughed, cheeks still flushed as she ignored the twitching blue-haired boy, "W-We were talking about Shinjiro-nii, right?"

"Uh… 'Shinjiro-nii'…?" Junpei repeated distractedly, eyeing Minato's newly acquired injuries with both sympathy and amusement, "You have a brother or something, Mina-tan?"

"Nah~," Yukari answered for her as she dusted off her hands, "Minako started calling Aragaki-senpai that after he helped us out."

"Isn't it a bit early to be calling him that?" Akihiko asked with a raised brow.

"Well~," Minako answered with a kittenish smile, "It was either that or _Mama Bear_~!"

They choked.

"M-Mama Bear?!" squeaked Fuuka, trying to equate the gruff man with that nickname, "W-Why…?!"

Red eyes sparkled. "Because it's true!"

And cue the face-faults.

"How?!" Junpei sputtered, "The guy's, like, the epitome of manliness!"

A beat of silence before–

"Well done, Iori."

–Mitsuru chuckled, "That is the correct way to use 'epitome'."

"_That's_ what you choose to dwell on?!" he yelped.

A snort as Yukari rolled her eyes. "Considering your grades, who wouldn't focus on that?"

"Ah, shut it…" The capped boy sulked.

"W-Well…" Akihiko coughed to stop laughing. "Shinji's rough-looking but he's good at home ec." He rubbed the back of his neck in thought. "Cooking, sewing… All of those things comes pretty easily to him so I _guess_ that kind of makes him motherly...?"

Their eyes bugged a bit before shoulders slumped.

"Oh…" Yukari wilted in disappointment. "I think I'm losing to him…"

"Mm…" Fuuka nodded meekly. "I can't cook that well…"

"I as well," Aigis intoned, raising a hand, "Perhaps we should learn together?"

"Nah~ You're fine, Aigis." Junpei waved her off before turning to the other two. "But you two should try harder!"

"Shut up, Stupei!" snapped the archer, "It's not as if you can do those things either!"

"Maa, that's fine," the capped boy chuckled, rubbing his chin, "Little ol' me's just gonna get a nice girlfriend to do it!"

"…I take it back," Minako deadpanned, "I'll make sure you stay single."

"So cruel!" Junpei gawked, stumbling back and clutching at his chest.

Yukari rolled her eyes again before huffing, "Not to mention he's _Junpei._ That makes it so much worse."

And so the final nail was hit in his coffin.

Koromaru cocked his head to the side and barked when the capped boy's soul left his body.

Depressed Magician aside…

"Still," mused Fuuka in a thoughtful manner, "A guy who's good at cooking sounds nice."

"True," Minako agreed, "Knowing home economics is always a plus…"

She trailed off as red eyes fell on the blue-haired boy in fetal position. "Y'know, Minato-kun's not bad at either."

He perked up and almost preened…

"But he still needs work on sewing."

…when he was abruptly shot down again.

And Junpei came back to life, snorting with laughter at the other's crestfallen expression. _Burn~!_

Minato glowered at him but the capped boy simply began rolling around in laughter when Ken piped up, "I can put buttons back on shirts."

Seeing an opportunity, the Magician straightened up and declared, "Look! Here's a perfect candidate!"

"I agree~," Minako played along, wrapping her arms around the brunet, "Ken-kun, my hero~!"

"A-Ah, M-Minako-san, I, um…!" He stuttered with a dark blush before freezing when silver eyes bore into him. _Danger…!_

Not noticing the tension, Yukari also hugged the boy and cheered, "As expected, Ken-kun's definitely the better choice!"

"He is very hopeful." Aigis nodded. "Perhaps Junpei-san should learn from him?"

The capped boy jerked at suddenly being called out.

"Ai-chan too?!" He mourned his dwindling ego. "Oh… I can't take being like this anymore…" He held an arm over his eyes and sobbed. "Somebody… Anybody… Give me your love…!"

"…You're having fun, aren't you, Junpei-san?" Ken asked after finally being relinquished from the brunettes' hold and thus from Minato's evil eye.

Peeking out, Junpei grinned. "You can tell?"

"Ew~! Gross!" Yukari squealed, hiding behind Minako, "Stay away from us, Stupei!"

"Junpei-kun's a masochist…?" Fuuka murmured warily, also shifting behind their leader.

"Wha–NO!" The Magician sputtered, shaking his head rapidly. "You've got it all wrong!"

"It's okay, Jun-chan~!" Minako sang mischievously, "You don't have to hide it~!"

"I'm not! I mean, that's not– NO!" denied the capped boy, crossing his arms defensively, "You're wrong! Wrong, I say!"

"I guess we really do learn new things every day," Akihiko hummed before Mitsuru asked, "Shall I make an appointment for you, Iori?"

"SENPAI!" Junpei whined, almost crying, "Come on, give a guy a break…!"

They traded glances before shaking their heads with a soft chuckle–

"Alright then…"

–and the Magician was about to relax when–

"Gross."

"Damn it, Minato!"

* * *

_**Bestie to the Rescue!**_

* * *

As the other juniors continued ragging on Junpei, Akihiko sighed and leaned against a pillar, folding his arms in front of him.

"Hey, Mitsuru," he spoke softly, "When did Shinji leave?"

"…It's been a while," she answered, glancing over at him, "He said he was going home so I assume he's no longer in the area."

"I see…"

Sensing the boxer's disappointment, the redhead paused and thought before adding, "He may think differently now. Will you ask him again?"

For a moment, Akihiko remained silent before he grunted,

"Maybe."

His grip tightened. "Ken might notice something's off but…" Gray eyes closed briefly. "I'll still try talking to him."

Mitsuru hummed softly in acknowledgement before smiling. "In any case, I have a message from him."

He almost jumped with anticipation but held back and cleared his throat. "W-What is it?"

Her grin widened. "Eat your vegetables."

"…Huh?!"

Akihiko was flabbergasted, gaping at the almost smirking redhead.

"That is all." She shrugged gracefully.

There was a moment of silence before Akihiko laughed aloud. "Haha! Sounds just like him!"

"Sanada-san!"

He looked up to see Ken waving at him and straightened as the younger group walked over to them. "What's up?"

"If you're gonna buy dinner," Yukari answered, "Why not eat together?"

"It'll be fun!" Minako chirped, clasping her hands behind her back, "Like a party outdoors!"

"Mm! We don't always eat together like this so it's a nice change of pace," Fuuka agreed before giggling when she saw Minato poke the still-depressed Magician with a stick.

"I see…" Akihiko gazed at each of the girls' hopeful faces before smiling and nodding. "Why not?"

"Yatta!" Ken cheered before coughing and clearing his throat. "Oh, um, should we split the work then?"

That roused the capped boy who grinned brightly (and perhaps a tad bit maliciously too given how he'd placed Minato in yet another chokehold).

"In that case," he declared, bumping a fist against his chest, "We'll get the food," his eyes landed on their yukata, "You girls can't move very well in that, right?"

"So Junpei _does_ have good sides to him," teased Yukari, utterly ignoring the blue-haired boy in his grasp unlike her fellow brunette.

Red eyes gazed at Minato's twitching form in clear worry and a hint of guilt. _It _was_ just an accident, wasn't it…?_

The blue-haired boy looked so pitiful in the capped boy's headlock that Minako wavered restlessly before shaking her head and catching Junpei's eyes.

He raised a brow before relenting to her silent plea, snickering a bit. _They _so_ have it bad for each other._

"So, anyway," Junpei spoke up, directing everyone's attention away from Minako as she tended to her other half, "What do you all want?"

As the others began musing aloud their orders, the red-eyed girl crouched beside Minato and pressed a hand against his flushed face.

"…Sorry," she murmured sadly, "I think we kind of went overboard…"

He didn't respond, simply rubbing at his neck, and she wilted, unsure of what else to say, when his calloused hand grabbed hers.

"Don't worry about it so much," he mumbled, pressing his lips against her palm, "I did screw up, after all…"

Her cheeks flushed and she hid her face in her knees, glancing at him through her lashes.

"Then, um, we're cool?" she asked meekly.

Her heart skipped a beat when he quirked a grin at her.

"Alrighty then!"

They jumped away, hands quickly hidden behind their backs, as Akihiko called for their attention.

"Yukari and Fuuka both want takoyaki, Mitsuru wants yakisoba, Ken and I are getting okonomiyaki," he said, completely missing their little moment, "What do you two want?"

Minako floundered for an answer before squeaking when Minato suddenly ruffled her hair and answered, "We'll get one of everything each."

"Should've figured," Junpei snickered, being the only one to catch what had happened, and the brunette pouted before he pumped a fist, cheering, "Yosh~! We've got your orders now so we'll be going."

The blue-haired boy sighed a bit and untangled his fingers from her hair as Minako waved them off cheerfully. "We'll be counting on y'all~!"

"Be back in five!" Yukari called after.

A choke. "You're asking too much!"

.

.

.

"…Say, Junpei," Akihiko spoke up, glancing over at him, "Are you weak to Yukari or something? It feels like she has you rolling in the palm of her hands."

"Huh? Uh… I wouldn't say I'm weak to her," the capped boy responded after thinking for a moment, "I mean, when guys and girls get along, girls can relax, y'know? That's what I'm doing for her."

"Oh?" The boxer raised a brow. "You sure you aren't just giving in?"

"He's a doormat," yawned Minato.

"Am not!" Junpei attempted to choke the other again but the blue-haired boy swiftly dodged him with a smirk.

_Bastard,_ grumped the capped boy before he sighed, _And _I_ was the one who helped him with Mina-tan…!_

"Junpei-san's always getting teased, na?" Ken laughed softly.

"Feel a little sorry for me, won't ya?!" whined the capped boy, slumping over.

"I suppose," the brunet relented before grinning a bit, "But you make it so easy!"

"Gah!" Junpei stumbled and whimpered. "Even Ken's picking on me now…"

"Stupei Count," Minato deadpanned, "Over 9000…"

"WHAT?!"

* * *

_**Food For Thought**_

* * *

"Ah~…" Yukari sighed, practically melting against the bench, "My feet are dead…"

"Same here…" Fuuka grimaced and rubbed at her ankles. "I feel like taking off my geta…"

A bark before Aigis intoned, "Koromaru-san says, 'It is more comfortable going barefoot.'"

"Maybe we should follow his example?" Minako asked jokingly.

"No," the archer denied, karate chopping her fellow brunette, "It's rude so don't even think about it."

The Wild Card pouted, rubbing at her head.

"Regardless," Mitsuru spoke up as she smoothed out her yukata, "It's great that the boys went shopping for us."

"That's true," Yukari agreed, perking up with a smile, "Junpei really does care about us, huh?"

"That was gentlemanly of him," the redhead allowed with a nod.

It was then that the archer's smile faltered as she looked down and mused, "Today… The boys are paying for us… Fuuka got a freebie… We're really being treated like girls…"

"That was great, ne?" Fuuka chirped, kicking her feet a bit.

"Yeah… It made me happy but…" A certain melancholy befell Yukari. "That's the problem…"

Minako traded confused looks with the aqua-haired girl before asking, "Why?"

For a moment, the archer said nothing, nibbling on her lower lip, before she answered, "I never really liked it. Our special treatment, that is." She sighed. "But, as soon as something good happens, I can't help but feel happy about it." Distress was evident in her voice. "I let my status as a woman become a weapon and then I spoil myself so I'm kinda…you know."

"Yukari-chan…" Fuuka mumbled worriedly, seeing the frustration in the other's eyes.

As if just realizing what she'd said, she gasped and shook her head, laughing awkwardly, "A-Ah~ That didn't happen. Nope! No way. So just forget about it–"

"You're not the only one, Yukari-chan," interjected the aqua-haired girl solemnly, "I think like that too…"

"H-Huh?" The archer startled. "You too?"

Fuuka nodded. "Technology interests me, so I'm often called strange since I'm a girl. It's why I stayed at home so often… But, when I go to tech-shops, I often get these discounts!" She perked up a bit before deflating again. "It's probably because it's unusual to see a girl there…"

Aigis tilted her head in confusion. "Is it not because you are a 'cute girl'?"

"T-That's–! U-Um…" The aqua-haired girl bit her lower lip. "Well, I'm happy that I can use being a girl as a weapon but… At times, I expect to get a discount so I feel kind of guilty…"

"…Isn't it fine thinking like it?" Mitsuru spoke up, crossing her arms, "Using everything to your advantage… It is a logical path to take so there's no reason to feel ashamed."

"I guess so…" Yukari shifted uncomfortably, pursing her lips.

"…To be honest," the redhead murmured, looking away, "I'm envious of you two. Depending on your situation, you can use your sex as an advantage but I…"

"Senpai…?" Minako sensed that there was more to be said but Mitsuru simply shook her head. "No… Forget what I said. I'm no longer sure of what I meant…"

"…I guess that makes two of us," Yukari laughed a bit sardonically before sighing, "Well, in this case, I guess this conversation never happened, ne?"

A heavy silence descended over them.

Red eyes dropped to pale hands, one folded atop the other, and narrowed in thought before the Wild Card spoke up, "Y'know… I think each has things special to their own gender."

Blinking, they turned their attention to her.

"I mean, there are hardships that only guys can face, right?" Minako explained, eyes softening as she remembered the night before, "But girls have their own difficulties too!"

"Girls have their own…" Brows furrowed before clearing when the archer perked up. "Like, talking about guys?"

Fuuka blushed and clasped her hands over her chest, admitting, "I couldn't help but feel all jittery when we were talking about Iwasaki-san's crush."

"That was the perfect example of a girl's talk," Yukari sighed with a smile, "And wearing yukata's surprisingly fun too! Not to mention bearing with the geta…

"And then there's the freebie," Minako chirped with a wink, "Plus, getting scolded for being in a dark place~!"

"Of course," Mitsuru chuckled, "The boys were kind enough to buy for us as well."

They shared a laugh.

"See, see~?" Minako grinned as she leaned back on her palms. "Don't things like these make it worth being a girl?"

The archer began nodding slowly and the Wild Card's grin widened as she gazed up at the dark sky.

"Rather than merits or disadvantages," Minako continued, "I think we should just appreciate the differences between us."

"Yeah…" Yukari clenched her hands and abruptly straightened up with bright eyes. "Yeah, you're right!" She smiled widely. "There's no need to think about it so hard when we can just enjoy what we have!"

"Right~?" Her fellow brunette giggled. "Coming here with everyone was fun. So it's fine like this, ne?"

Koromaru barked, panting happily, in obvious agreement.

"Mm! It _was_ fun, wasn't it?" Fuuka clapped her hands together with a smile. "Playing games, winning prizes, meeting friends unexpectedly…"

"Yes…" Mitsuru agreed, "I too am glad that I came."

"This experience is quite rewarding," Aigis inputted before continuing rather unnecessarily, "However, I still believe I should have carried Minako-san since she only weighs–"

"Sorry for the wait!" Junpei called out, unknowingly cutting off the mechanical maiden, "So who's ready to chow down?"

"I am~!" Minako cheered loudly, jumping to her feet, as the Shiba-Inu mimicked her with a bark, tail wagging happily. "And welcome back!"

"We're back," Akihiko chuckled at her enthusiasm before Yukari nearly choked at the sight, sputtering, "W-Wait a moment! Minako, Minato-kun, you're not seriously gonna eat all of that, are you?!"

The blue-haired boy had wheeled in a plethora of yakitori, takoyaki, yakisoba, okonomiyaki, taiyaki, grilled squids, salty sea breams, butter scallops, corncobs, baked sweet potatoes, crepes, dango, choco-bananas, candy apples along with other snacks and confectionaries.

"That's way too much!" The archer waved her arms at it. "And where'd you even get a cart?!"

"Aw~ Don't sweat the little things, Yuka-chan~," Minako chirped, linking arms with her fellow brunette, "And we're totally planning to share with everyone. Right, Minato-kun?"

He nodded, chewing on a yakitori while handing his other half a taiyaki.

"Liar!" Yukari called them out, twisting out of the girl's grip. "I've seen you both hoard food before!"

"We're not lying!" Minako protested with a pout. "See? Here!"

She attempted to feed the archer but the latter quickly hid behind Mitsuru, crying, "You're trying to fatten me up, aren't you?!"

"Of course not~," she sang, stalking her, "Now come on~ You know you want it~!"

"Begone foul demon!"

.

.

.

And so the night ended amidst warm laughter and chattering friends.

* * *

**Reading it over, I think I was a bit too mean to Junpei and Minato... What do y'all think?**


End file.
